After Landslide Victory, Putin Faces Public Backlash

Some 15,000 people gathered on Pushkin Square in downtown Moscow to protest the results of Sunday's presidential elections, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Protesters with a sign that reads, "If not us, then who?." One of Putin's campaign slogans was, "If not Putin, then who?" March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Nikita Bogoyavlensky, a 19-year-old computer science student and young communist, said he came to the protest because he was dissatisfied with Sunday's election results. "We've already lived under Putin and our country is falling apart," March 5, 2012. (V

A sign hangs from an apartment balcony reads, "Men don't cry." On Sunday evening, Vladimir Putin spoke to a large crowd of supporters and appeared to tear up on camera, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

A protester holds up a sign that reads, "Moscow doesn't believe in tears," a reference to a well-known Soviet film and a jab at Vladimir Putin who spoke to a large crowd of supporters on Sunday evening after polls closed, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

A protester holds a sign that says, "I'm crying too." On Sunday evening, Vladimir Putin spoke to a large crowd of supporters and appeared to tear up on camera, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Writer and activist Boris Akunin stood in the crowd, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Riot police gathered near Pushkin Square, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, a candidate in the recent presidential elections, greeted supporters and naysayers in the crowd, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Riot police and protesters on Pushkin square, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Huge numbers of riot police gathered near Pushkin Square. By evening's end 600 protesters were arrested in Moscow and St. Petersburg, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

A protester hands out anit-Putin DVDs, March 5, 2012, (VOA - Y. Weeks).

Antonina Shevchenko (left) and Tatyana Pariva, 19-year-old college students, hold a sign that says, "Are 64 percent of my friends lying to me?" Prime Minister Vladimir Putin won Sunday's presidential election with almost 64 percent of the vote, March 5, 2