Russians hold mass anti-Putin protest

MOSCOW – Tens of thousands of Muscovites linked hands Sunday along a 10-mile stretch of roadway in the capital in the latest mass protest against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is expected to win election as president in national balloting next Sunday.

People of all ages participated in the protest, as thousands of passing motorists slowed their vehicles and honked to welcome them. Many cars also carried white ribbons, balloons, stickers and flowers.

The demonstration on the Garden Ring road was held two days after Putin’s major campaign event, in which tens of thousands of social and municipal workers were brought in buses to the Luzhniki Stadium to express their support for the former two-term president. Putin attended the rally and called on the Russian people to fight and protect the motherland in an ongoing “battle of Russia.”

“Intentionally or unthinkably Putin and his campaign managers are breaking the country in two, pitting one part of the society – Moscow and big cities, middle class – against the other – provincial workers and farmers and bureaucrats of all ranks,” said Sergei Leskov, a 57-year-old Moscow businessman at the Sunday event. “This may in the end lead to a civil war provoked and inspired by the authorities.”

Opposition leader and former chess world champion Garry Kasparov, who was holding hands with other protesters Sunday, praised the crowd.

“Our movement is not letting up steam and is not diminishing in the least but is just getting more popular and more creative by the day,” he said.