Riot police broke up protestors with batons, making over 400 arrests

Protesters clashed with police in Moscow, resulting in 400 arrests, over of the inauguration of Vladimir Putin as president.

A peaceful protest by near 20,000 activists on Sunday turned violent after a small number of demonstrators began challenging riot police, by throwing missiles at the officers.

Clashes broke out, leaving 29 police injured and resulting in 436 arrests, according to Russian news agency RIA-Novosti.

Police reportedly began beating protestors and breaking up groups violently.

"Putin has shown his true face, how he 'loves' his people - with police force," Dmitry Gorbunov, one of the protestors, told Reuters.

The protests outside the Kremlin were another sign of anti-Putin sentiment in the country, which has appeared over recent elections.

Putin, at the top of Russian politics for the past decade, won his third term as president in a controversial victory in March, which saw the United Russia leader earn 63.6% of the vote, miles ahead of his nearest contender, Communist Gennady Zyuganov, with 17.1%,which saw allegations of election fraud.

Anti-Putin protests have escalated since controversial parliamentary elections last December, which saw 50,000 protestors march against the then-prime minister.

However Putin, speaking at the time, strongly denied any wrongdoing in the election, saying: “The election properly reflected the real balance of power in the country.”

“As for the fairness or unfairness: the opposition will always say the elections were not fair. Always. This happens everywhere, in all countries.”

Putin was sworn in as president of the country after one term as its prime minister under close ally Dmitry Medvedev in a ceremony overseen by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.

He took the oath of office for a third term as Russia's president saying he considers "service to the fatherland and our nation to be the meaning of my life," The Associated Press reported.

Medvedev will now serve as Putin's prime minister.

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• OMON, riot police, officers escort an an

  OMON, riot police, officers escort an anti-Putin protester wearing white ribbons, who was detained at the Tverskoi Boulevard in central Moscow, on May 7, 2012. Moscow police said today they had arrested 120 people, including opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, during an unsanctioned rally against newly-elected President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin inauguration. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• OMON, riot police, officers escort an an

  OMON, riot police, officers escort an anti-Putin protester wearing white ribbons, who was detained at the Tverskoi Boulevard in central Moscow, on May 7, 2012. Moscow police said today they had arrested 120 people, including opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, during an unsanctioned rally against newly-elected President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin inauguration. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• OMON, riot police, officers escort an an

  OMON, riot police, officers escort an anti-Putin protester, who was detained at the Tverskoi Boulevard in central Moscow, on May 7, 2012. Moscow police said today they had arrested 120 people, including opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, during an unsanctioned rally against newly-elected President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin inauguration. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• OMON, riot police, officers escort an an

  OMON, riot police, officers escort an anti-Putin protester, who was detained at the Tverskoi Boulevard in central Moscow, on May 7, 2012. Moscow police said today they had arrested 120 people, including opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, during an unsanctioned rally against newly-elected President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin inauguration. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• OMON, riot police, officers escort an an

  OMON, riot police, officers escort an anti-Putin protester, who was detained at the Tverskoi Boulevard in central Moscow, on May 7, 2012. Moscow police said today they had arrested 120 people, including opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, during an unsanctioned rally against newly-elected President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin inauguration. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• OMON, riot police, officers escort an an

  OMON, riot police, officers escort an anti-Putin protester wearing white ribbons, who was detained at the Tverskoi Boulevard in central Moscow, on May 7, 2012. Moscow police said today they had arrested 120 people, including opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, during an unsanctioned rally against newly-elected President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin inauguration. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain oppositio

  Russian Police officers detain opposition supporters during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain oppositio

  Russian Police officers detain opposition supporters during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain oppositio

  Russian Police officers detain opposition supporters during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain oppositio

  Russian Police officers detain opposition supporters during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain an opposi

  Russian Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain an opposi

  Russian Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian people march along a street duri

  Russian people march along a street during an opposition's protest rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain an opposi

  Russian Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain oppositio

  Russian Police officers detain opposition supporters during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / MIKHAIL POCHUEV (Photo credit should read MIKHAIL POCHUEV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian people march along a street duri

  Russian people march along a street during an opposition's protest rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian opposition leader Sergey Udaltso

  Russian opposition leader Sergey Udaltsov (C) attends an opposition's protest rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian people march along a street duri

  Russian people march along a street during an opposition's protest rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian people march along a street duri

  Russian people march along a street during an opposition's protest rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian police officers block a street d

  Russian police officers block a street during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian police officers block a street a

  Russian police officers block a street as an opposition supporter argues during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain an opposi

  Russian Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain oppositio

  Russian Police officers detain opposition supporters during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain an opposi

  Russian Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain an opposi

  Russian Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)

• Russian Police officers detain an opposi

  Russian Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally in Moscow on May 6, 2012. Russian riot police Sunday violently clashed with protesters at a rally on the eve of strongman Vladimir Putin's return for a third Kremlin term, arresting over 250 people including opposition leaders. AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GettyImages)