Moscow: Thousands of protesters rallied in
dozens of Russian cities on Saturday against Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin's government as opposition groups mobilised anger over
economic woes.
Riot police in Moscow massively outnumbered some 100
activists who took to the streets for an unsanctioned rally.
They detained a few dozen activists and blocked the street to
prevent demonstrators from marching.
"Today our movement is in solidarity with the other
protests in the country where they are calling for the
resignation of Putin's government. His policy during the
crisis is not working!" youth activist Sergei Udaltsov told
reporters shortly before being arrested.
Police also detained a handful of activists in the
Russian cities of Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, news agencies
reported.
Dubbed the "Day of Anger", the nationwide rallies are
being organized by a mishmash of groups -- rights activists,
the Communist Party, the opposition Solidarity movement and
the Federation of Motorists -- in a bid to transform scattered
discontent into something bigger.
The string of protests opened in the far east port of
Vladivostok where more than a thousand protesters gathered in
the snow holding placards screaming "No to Taxes" and "Enough
Coddling Oligarchs at the Expense of the People!".
PTI
First Published: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 21:07