BBC News Online: World: Europe

Russia police clash with skinheads

Reports say up to 150 of the skinheads went on the rampage in the north of the city after a rock concert.

Witnesses described seeing the gang giving Nazi-style salutes and smashing up cars.

Police said one officer was injured during the clashes.

Some of the skinheads are said to have been wearing uniforms.

Witnesses said police had fired into the air to try to restore order to the suburb of Petrovsko-Razumovsky.

"They were making Hitler-type salutes and tossing empty bottles at the police," Ivan Bondarenko, a caretaker at a church in the district, told Reuters Television.

Cult rock bands

"They were pounding on nearly every car they came across. I had three girls come here pleading for help."

Correspondents say violence by extremist youth groups such as neo-Nazis has grown more visible in Russia in recent years, but is still fairly rare.

Some groups of extremists follow cult rock bands, some of whom perform wearing Nazi uniforms.