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30,000 march in Moscow to back Putin
Some 30,000 people marched through central Moscow on Thursday in support of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's bid for the Russian presidency, AFP reported.
More than 30,000 people have joined a pro-Putin rally with Putin's campaigners expecting 100,000 people to join throughout the day
Under the slogan "Protect the Country", Putin's supporters were marching along the Moscow river embankment towards the Luzhniki sports stadium where they will gather for a rally ahead of the 4 March polls.
Along the way, the participants were being offered free tea and Russian pies dished out from tents erected on the road.
The event clearly aims to be a riposte to the three mass rallies staged by the opposition since 4 December parliamentary elections which were tarnished by allegations of widespread vote-rigging.
Opposition media claim that workers and students have been compelled to attend with workers being brought in by train or bus from all over Russia. Putin's spokesperson denied obliging people to take part.
