Police detain protesters during an unauthorized protest rally against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow Sunday. Yulia Navalny, the activist's wife, was among over 1,500 people detained in the city, per AP. She was released after a few hours. Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
Over 5,000 demonstrators were detained in major Russian cities Sunday, as authorities cracked down on people who defied orders and protested against the detention of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, monitoring groups said.
Why it matters: Navalny's detention has united Russians from a variety of backgrounds, including those who are against his politics, to protest the authoritarian leadership of President Vladimir Putin, per the New York Times.
- Russian prosecutors have demanded that social media platforms censor calls to join protests, AP notes.
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Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos and the latest arrest total.