Russian police detain activists ahead of protest

FILE PHOTO: Members and supporters of the Russian Communist Party attend a rally to protest against the preliminary results of the parliamentary election in Moscow, Russia September 20, 2021. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained opposition activists on Friday and warned they would break up any illegal rallies this weekend after an opposition coalition angered by last week's parliamentary election urged voters to gather in Moscow.

Several politicians, most of them Communists, have banded together, saying they were cheated of victory by a crooked online voting system in the parliamentary vote and calling for the system to be scrapped.