Earlier, Garry Kasparov, a leading figure in the opposition movement The Other Russia, said the Dissenters' March would be held in Moscow November 24 and in St. Petersburg November 25.
Spokesman Mikhail Solomentsev said the authorities were prohibiting opposition marches citing traffic problems, adding that some leaders from The Other Russia are saying they will hold a march despite the ban. "These statements are nothing but a provocation," he said.
The Other Russia organization includes the People's Patriotic Union, led by former premier Mikhail Kasyanov, the banned National Bolshevik Party, headed by Russian writer Eduard Limonov, as well as chess grandmaster Kasparov's United Civil Front.
Human rights advocates in Russia and abroad have criticized the Kremlin for tightening its grip on democracy and human rights ever since Vladimir Putin became president in 2000.
However, polls show that the majority of Russians support the country's leader, citing the stability and economic growth Russia that has enjoyed under his rule.
