Russians in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities took to the streets Tuesday in protest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny being sentenced to 2.8 years in prison.
Despite hundreds of riot police stationed throughout central Moscow and St. Petersburg warning people not to stage unauthorized protests, thousands of Navalny’s supporters rallied in spontaneous groups throughout the night.
Video footage showed police brutally beating and detaining protesters and journalists, sparking widespread condemnation.
Here’s a look at images from throughout the night in Russia’s two largest cities: