Tens of thousands of Russians rally on a Moscow street and in other Russian cities to protest alleged fraud in a December 4 parliamentary election won by the ruling party of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Moscow Protest, December 24, 2011
A protester hands out white balloons at the rally. The white balloons were a symbol of peaceful protests, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
An anti-Putin sign at the rally reads, "Get tired and leave!" December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A protester wearing a bear mask at the rally with a sign that reads "Don't believe the bear" -- President Dmitri Medvedev's last name in Russian means bear, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
Some protesters were calling for the release of jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
One protester wore a head ban against "political AIDS," December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A protester (right) has a sign that reads, "It's time to snap out of your hypnosis." Another protester (left) has a sign that reads, "Lenin is a mushroom. Putin is a crab," December, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
Young protesters hold a sign that reads, "Fly away Botox blimp," a reference to rumors that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin uses Botox to appear younger, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A protest sign reads, "Freedom of information not government PR," December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A protester carries a sign depicting Mr. Putin as Condom Vladimirovich, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A protester holds a sign that reads, "My motherland was devoured by AIDS." In a recent televised Q & A Prime Minister Vladmir Putin joked that the protesters white ribbons looked like condoms. Protesters in turn said the condom were a means of protection
A protester's sign addressed to Putin reads, "This white ribbon is your finish line Vova," December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A protest sign reads, "Vladimi Vladimirovich Putin has to live long enough to be tried by a tribunal," December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
There were a variety of protest signs at Saturday's mass rally, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A sign at the protest reads, "Repeat issue," a reference to protesters opposition to another term in office for Vladimir Putin, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
Protesters hold a sign that reads, "Don't offer us Channel One," a reference to the fact that protesters are turning to internet and digital cable for their news rather than state-run television, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
White balloons, a symbol of peaceful protest, were released into the Moscow's overcast skies on Saturday, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
When anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny spoke at the rally the crowd erupted with cheers, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
Around 100,000 protesters participated in a rally on Saturday on Moscow's Sakharov Avenue in support of fair elections, December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)
A protester holds a sign that reads. "Guys, it's time to move over!" December 24, 2011. (VOA - Y. Weeks)