Police have detained a man suspected of beating up a journalist for Russia's main liberal news outlet, Ekho Moskvy, at a rally in support of Ukrainian independence in St. Petersburg.
The journalist, Arseny Vesnin, has filed a complaint against the suspect for the attack, which occurred while Vesnin was covering pickets in support of Ukraine on that country's independence day, held on Sunday, Interfax news agency reported Monday.
Vesnin described the incident briefly on Ekho Moskvy's website, saying the attacker began to kick his hands and his microphone immediately after seeing the news agency's logo.
"Police did not detain him. I saw him again a half hour later. This time he kicked me in the face. He broke my computer tablet, microphone, smashed my glasses. At this point they detained him," Vesnin wrote.
Ekho Moskvy reported immediately after the incident that Vesnin had been treated at a hospital and doctors suspected he may have suffered a concussion.
While several rallies were held in St. Petersburg on Sunday in support of Ukraine's Independence Day, a rival demonstration was held in the city to show solidarity with the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine who are currently battling Ukrainian troops, Lenta.ru reported.
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