Police turned out in force near the Moscow church where Alexei Navalny’s funeral took place on Friday, as mourners gathered in a show of support for the late Russian opposition leader.
Officers watched as hundreds of people waited to enter the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows, which was surrounded by crowd-control barriers.
When Navalny’s hearse arrived at the church and his coffin could be seen taken out of the vehicle, the crowd applauded and chanted his name.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged Navalny’s supporters not to break the law, saying any “unauthorized (mass) gatherings” are violations, The Associated Press noted.
A burial was set to follow the funeral at the nearby Borisovskoye Cemetery, where there was also a heavy police presence.
Navalny’s spokesperson earlier this week described the difficulty in arranging the funeral, noting threats and hearse drivers’ refusals to transport the body.
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