Thousands of Russians challenge Putin's election

Russian police officers detain an opposition protester during a protest near the Central Election Committee in Moscow March 5, 2012. AP Photo

Updated at 1:08 p.m. ET

(AP) MOSCOW - Thousands of Russians rallied Monday to challenge Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's victory in Russia's presidential election, crowding into a central Moscow square to chant "Shame!" and "Russia without Putin!"

Trying to sustain the momentum of three months of unprecedented demonstrations against his heavy-handed 12-year rule, the opposition is pointing to a campaign slanted in Putin's favor and reports of widespread violations in Sunday's ballot.

Organizers said about 20,000 people showed up, far short of the crowds of 100,000 that turned out for previous rallies — but protesters were squeezed into a far smaller space on the iconic Pushkin Square and it was too early to gauge how intense the outrage would be.



U.S. urges Russia to probe vote-fraud charges
Observers: "Serious problems" in Russia vote
Putin's victory just "honest" enough?




Monday's rally had been sanctioned by authorities but security was tight, with some 12,000 police deployed to ensure order. The big rally went on peacefully, but police detained about more than a dozen of people who tried to walk toward the Kremlin after the protest was over.

A few hundred demonstrators remained on the square after the rally was over, heeding protest leaders call to stay and raise the heat on authorities. Hundreds of riot police surrounded them, but didn't make any immediate attempt to disperse the protest.


"I have nothing to fear," said Vladimir Belyayev, a 62 year-old protester who held a placard reading "People, where is your self-dignity?"



After the rally ended, Udaltsov was joined by opposition lawmaker Ilya Ponomaryov and several hundred protesters who stayed on the square, chanting "We shall not leave!"

The police presence was intense, with dozens of trucks carrying riot shield-wielding police and vans used for detaining protesters parked around downtown. Prosecutors warned the rally's organizers they would face criminal responsibility for any unsanctioned protests.

Police quickly rounded up Eduard Limonov, the leader of the banned National Bolshevik Party and several dozen of his supporters, who attempted to hold a protest near the headquarters of Russia's main security agency.








Tearful Putin thanks supporters after win