Russian police detained 50 protesters overnight as 5000 demonstrated in Saint Petersburg against President Vladimir Putin’s leadership.

Several thousand opposition supporters gathered to protest against what they see as attempts by President Vladimir Putin to stifle democracy.

The event - entitled “the march of the dissenters” - was organised by opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and chess champion Gary Kasparov.

They accuse the Kremlin of using its power to silence the opposition in advance of local and parliamentary elections.

The demonstrators shouted “Disgrace!”, “Russia without Putin!” and “Out with the corrupted authorities!”

They broke through a police cordon intended to keep them in the main square.

Protesters marched along Nevsky Prospekt, the main avenue of Russia’s second city,
before stopping in front of a line of hundreds of riot police backed by armored jeeps.

The march brought together groups such as the liberal “Yabloko” (Apple) party and the National Bolshevik Party, led by cult author Eduard Liminov, who was detained by police even before the protest began.

The demonstrators denounced not only Mr Putin but also the authorities in Saint Petersburg, where elections are due to take place on March 11, and in particular the city’s governor, Valentina Matvienko.

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