Peskov commented on protest rallies on January 31

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained the detention of more than five thousand people on protests on January 31 by the fact that the rallies were not agreed, but “hooligans and provocateurs” participated in them. The recording of his speech at the briefing is given by the Mayak radio.

According to Peskov, in the actions of law enforcement officers during the dispersal of rallies throughout the country there was no “general trend”, except that “the police act hard and within the framework of the law.”

Dmitry Peskov
Presidential press secretary

- A fairly large number of hooligans, provocateurs with a greater or lesser extent by aggressive attitude towards representatives of law enforcement, which is unacceptable. With hooligans and provocateurs, of course, there can be no talk of [speech]. In relation to them, the law should be applied with all severity.

In response to the question about the use of electric shockers to the protesters in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Peskov said that the video was not visible, "which was the reason for these measures, what behavior of a person was literally half a minute before."

Photo on the cover: Yuri Goldenstein / "Paper"

More than 1,100 people were detained for protest in St. Petersburg. Detention of January 31 - the most tough and numerous in recent years. Read in the plot of “Papers” , as the action took place, where dozens of people were injured in the clashes of security forces and protesters.

In this material “Paper”, read the main thing about the rally: hard detentions, injured and blocked center. Here - 20 photos from the procession, and here - three monologues protested on January 31.