Hundreds of Russians gathered Friday near the Moscow church where the funeral of opponent Alexeï Navalny is to take place, under heavy police presence, AFP journalists noted.
A large queue formed in front of this church in southeastern Moscow, some coming with flowers and others with tears in their eyes. The police, present in large numbers, installed fences throughout the area.
The Kremlin warned against any “unauthorized” demonstrations on Friday, as Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny’s team called for gatherings for his funeral. “Any unauthorized demonstration will constitute a violation of the law. Therefore, those who participate in it will be held responsible, in accordance with the current law,” said Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, quoted by the TASS agency.