Dozens arrested after protests across Russia

MOSCOW - Dozens of Kremlin critics protesting for political reform in Russia were arrested Friday when security forces broke up the marches, which had not been approved by authorities, reported Interfax.

The agency reported that more than 120 protesters had been detained after gatherings in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Separately, authorities said numerous young people were arrested after staging a non-political event near the Kremlin in Moscow. Authorities said they confiscated knives, bludgeons and starting pistols and suspected the group had plans to engage in fighting with potentially rowdy football fans.

In other locales across Europe, authorities allowed protests to continue, albeit under supervision.

There were also scattered lingering protests against the recent guilty verdict handed down against oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsy for stealing oil from his now defunct company, Yukos.