Eduard Limonov, leader of the banned National Bolshevik Party, and the head of the St. Petersburg branch of the People's Democratic Union opposition movement, are accused of blocking traffic on Nevsky Prospekt, the central street of Russia's second city, Limonov's lawyer said.
A police official said tens of demonstrators had been arrested after the demonstration broke through police cordon and blocked the traffic. The demonstrators carried flags of the opposition movements and anti-governmental slogans.
A day before the meeting, leaders of The Other Russia opposition movement met in St. Petersburg. Some media said former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, world chess champion Garry Kasparov, and Irina Khakamada - all leaders of the People's Democratic Union movement, as well as Limonov and Vladimir Ryzhkov, an independent parliamentarian and leader of the Republican Party, met to discuss a single candidate for the 2008 presidential elections, and were also expected to take part in the unsanctioned meeting Saturday.
After the Kremlin-backed party, United Russia, came to power in 2003 and the government gained control of the media, Russia's opposition parties have had few instruments for political struggle and little influence on the country's political life.
