Thousands of Russian protesters join hands in anti-Putin rally

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REPORTING FROM MOSCOW -- Tens of thousands of Russians joined hands along a 10-mile stretch of roadway in the capital on Sunday in the latest mass protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is expected to win election as president next week.

People of all ages participated in the peaceful protest, as passing motorists slowed their vehicles and honked their horns in support. Many cars carried white ribbons, balloons, stickers and flowers -- signifying peaceful anti-government sentiment.

‘I have come out today, and I will come again and again until we become a majority and win our fight for a better Russia,’ Veronika Bisikalova, a 24-year-old lawyer said while waving a white scarf over her head as snow fell along the protest route.

The demonstration 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 Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium to show their support for the former two-term president.

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