You're reading: Russian court orders closure of anti-Putin sit-in

MOSCOW - A Russian court ordered police on May 15 to break up a tented encampment in a central Moscow park where people protesting against Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency have carried out an Occupy-style sit-in for almost a week.

The court ruling was the authorities’ latest move against Russia’s protest movement, a week after police detained hundreds of people at a rally that turned violent, a day before Putin returned to the presidency after four years as prime minister.

The court order, which responded to complaints by residents near the protest site at Chistiye Prudy park in central Moscow, obliged police to "take measures to stop the mass event and the violations of civil order," Moscow’s Basmanny Court spokeswoman Yekaterina Korotova told Reuters.

She said the order would be carried out "immediately".

The number of demonstrators joining the sit-in in the leafy park varies from dozens to hundreds, playing guitars and holding debates on political topics near a small encampment of tents.

The Moscow city mayor’s office has criticised the sit-in, saying it has caused 20 million roubles ($660,000) worth of damage to trees and lawns, Russian media reported.

One protester, wearing blue rubber gloves and cleaning the camp area, said the park looked better now than when the rally started. "It’s cleaner now than when we came," said Roman, 17, a culinary student who refused to give his last name.

The Russian protest movement burst into life late last year after numerous allegations of vote rigging in elections that gave the Kremlin-backed United Russia party a slim majority in parliament.

Last week the latest rally against Putin’s return to the presidency turned violent when crowds holding metal barriers advanced towards police, who responded by beating protesters with batons.