Moscow police break up protest on national holiday

MOSCOW — Police have detained dozens of opposition activists to prevent them from demonstrating in central Moscow on a national holiday celebrating Russia’s emergence as an independent state as the Soviet Union crumbled.

This year the holiday, now called Russia Day, falls exactly 20 years after Boris Yeltsin was first elected president of Russia when it was still part of the Soviet Union.

Tens of thousands of people are expected on Red Square for a pop concert and fireworks display on Sunday evening.

Police are out in force to prevent any unrest and they moved quickly to prevent the opposition protest. An Associated Press reporter saw protesters being put into buses. The state RIA-Novosti news agency said 28 were detained.