Opposition protesters spent the weekend shuffling around the city trying to resist efforts by authorities to stamp out mobile opposition camps.
Police said at least 50 were arrested over the weekend, saying most of those detained were from other cities, unemployed, or homeless, Interfax reported.
But protesters have remained on the streets despite police efforts. White Paddy Wagon activist Vadim Dergachev denied reports that the protesters had been evicted from their latest stronghold on the pedestrian street Arbat, writing on Twitter that at least 150 people remained on the street Sunday morning. He later tweeted "Protest camp Occupy Arbat is alive, well and in full strength."
Protesters have been on the move since police cleared out the camp at Kudrinskaya Ploshchad overnight Friday with batons and a new wave of arrests, flushing activists from the square where they settled after the previous camp at Chistiye Prudy was broken up.
Police said the camp at Kudrinskaya Ploshchad was cleared because of complaints from residents about noise and uncleanliness. About 20 activists were arrested, but they were later released without citations, Interfax reported.
About 40 protesters moved to Nikitsky Bulvar near the ITAR-TASS building, but the area was again cleared of protesters Saturday morning with new arrests.
Remaining protesters converged on the pedestrian Arbat street, gathering near a statue of Soviet-era musician Bulat Okudzhava. Police arrived to clear the protesters later in the afternoon, arresting at least 10 people who had spread out sleeping bags around the statue without giving warnings to disperse.
Protesters remained in the area, and police resumed arrests overnight in the early hours of Sunday morning. Despite the arrests, opposition activists continued to maintain a presence in defiance of authorities.
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