Over a hundred thousand people braved the bitter cold at two major rallies in downtown Moscow on Saturday.
Over a hundred thousand people braved the bitter cold at two major rallies in downtown Moscow on Saturday.
In the photo: Pro-Putin's rally at Moscow’s Poklonnaya Gora memorial.
In the photo: Pro-Putin's rally at Moscow’s Poklonnaya Gora memorial.
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© RIA Novosti . Vladimir Pesnia
The demonstration demanding fair elections at the March 4 presidential polls began at Kaluzhskaya Square.
The protests included a march through Bolshaya Yakimanka street in downtown Moscow and a rally across the Moskva River from the Kremlin.
Temperature in Moscow on Saturday stood at minus 22 degrees Celsius.
A variety of political groups gathered for the rally: participants carried flags of the liberal Yabloko Party, of the unregistered liberal Party of People's Freedom, red Communist flags, as well as anarchist and Russian nationalist banners.
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© RIA Novosti
Police said 35,000 attended the opposition rally on Bolotnaya Ploshchad, while organizers estimated attendance at 100,000.
Police said between 90,000 and to 160,000 attended the event in support of Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin.
Speakers at Poklonnaya Gora said their opponents intend to overthrow Putin through public protests, like during Ukraine’s “Orange revolution” in 2004.
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© RIA Novosti . Alexander Utkin
They also insist protesters at Bolotnaya Ploshchad are acting in the interest of the United States, whose ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul, met with rally organizers in January.
The rally lasted slightly over an hour and wrapped up shortly after 2 p.m. without incidents.
