moscow/st petersburg police detain 200 opposition activists saturday take part wave anti-kremlin protest across russia support jail opposition leader alexei navalny ahead presidential election march monitor group report grey sky intermittent rain two thousand people gather central moscow pushkin square chant russia free russia without putin walk towards kremlin parliament police briefly detain people charge anyone different story rally cities however ovd-info monitor group non-profit organization say least 262 people detain 27 towns st petersburg putin home town reuters witness saw riot police roughly detain least 11 people ovd-info say least 66 people detain city navalny serve 20-day jail term violate rule public meet call rally moscow cities coincide putin 65th birthday putin dominate russia political landscape almost 18 years widely expect run would fourth term navalny hop run despite central election commission declare ineligible due suspend prison sentence say politically-motivated one moscow protesters hold homemade poster putin sit mountain banknotes wear crown legend happy birthday little thief others carry posters cite right protest wave russian flag carry inflatable yellow duck jokey reference navalny accuse prime minister dmitry medvedev own lavish estate duck house medvedev call claim politically-motivated nonsense st petersburg 1,500 activists wave red white banners gather square head city main street shout putin thief free navalny size saturday moscow rally others across russia look far modest navalny-backed mass protest march june widely recognize big since 2012. many moscow protesters teenagers twenties carry yellow duck ulugbek apsapayev 17 say turn want good future russia duck sign support alexei navalny also want good things country unfortunately vladimir putin gang power putin popular across country however especially outside major cities strong leadership style tough foreign policy stance go well expect confirm late year run another six-year term opinion poll show would comfortably beat navalny opposition leader allow run navalny say poll meaningless fair political competition putin spend birthday take congratulatory call world leaders chair security council meet authorities refuse approve saturday rally navalny say russians right protest enshrine constitution reuters reporter rally urals city yekaterinburg saw police detain least eight people among crowd 1,000 protesters putin 's birthday opposition activists protest call quit