Rallies for and against Putin’s power play fill Moscow streets

Hundreds of Russians protesting against Vladimir Putin drove through Moscow yesterday ahead of the 4 March presidential election expected to seal his grip on power.

Cars adorned with white ribbons and balloons, which have become the symbol of the largest protest movement against Mr Putin’s 12-year rule, moved bumper-to-bumper through the city, competing with a rally of his supporters hours earlier.

“There are a lot of people who do not agree with the current authorities,” said Dmitry, 29. “We’ve come out to show that we don’t agree [with the situation] and want other people to know how many of us there are.”

The pro-Putin rally on Saturday night saw drivers with pictures of Mr Putin and Russian flags stream along Moscow’s main ring road. Police said there were 2,000 participants.

Opponents say state workers are pressured to attend such rallies and that police exaggerate their size, while underestimating the size of opposition protests. Yesterday, a police official said 150 cars took part in the rally for fair elections, while organisers said 2,000 participated.