Russian police arrests 19 at football fan memorial rally

Russian police arrests 19 at football fan memorial rally

2011-01-16 12:10:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Nineteen participants of a Moscow rally in memory of a killed football fan were arrested on Saturday, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

RIA Novosti reported that people gathered to commemorate the death of football fan Yegor Sviridov, who was shot dead in a brawl with migrants, mainly from Russia's North Caucasus region, at the same location where the rally took place.

About 400 participants and 150 media representatives took part in the peaceful rally, police spokesman Viktor Biryukov told RIA Novosti. "A total of 19 people were arrested," Biryukov said, adding that police are investigating if they were involved in the Manezh Square riots.

The rally was not organized by the Spartak Moscow fan group, Fratria, which Sviridov was a member. Fratria had urged football fans to remain vigilant as "lots of provocateurs who want to make hay out of the tragedy to our comrade are currently positioned next to us," the news agency reported.

One of the persons behind the rally is Artur Grohovsky, assistant chairman of the liberal Yabloko party. The shooting death of Sviridov has sparked ethnic clashes for more than a month in Russia, including a brawl between over 5,000 football supporters and police.

On Tuesday, dozens of people were detained after nationalists and football supporters called for a "Russia for Russians" rally at Manezh Square.

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