ST. PETERSBURG, November 3 (RIA Novosti) - About 500 people have gathered in Russia's St. Petersburg to protest against rising food prices in a protest called "The March of Empty Pots".
Police said the meeting sanctioned by the authorities had brought to the streets opposition representatives, with many of them carrying empty saucepans and hitting them with ladles.
Sharp growth in prices has recently hit the whole country. The Russian Statistics Agency said the highest rise was seen in September prices for cooking oil (13.5%), pasteurized milk (9.4%), and other diary products (7.9%). The Finance Ministry has said the annual inflation is likely to exceed 10%.