Competing Russian rallies draw thousands

Tens of thousands of people turned out Saturday for Moscow rallies supporting and opposing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Putin opponents called on Russians not to vote for him in the March 4 presidential election and demanded fair elections after previous rallies that alleged voter fraud in favor of Putin's United Russia Party in December's parliamentary elections, RIA Novosti reported. "We are prepared for a long, tough struggle," protest organizer and opposition figure Boris Nemtsov before the rally. "One peaceful march will not change the country." Police said 35,000 people attended the opposition rally, while organizers put the number at 100,000. About 160,000 attended the pro-government rally, police said. Speakers at that rally accused the opposition of seeking a revolution in support of the interests of Western powers. "We say no to the destruction of Russia. We say no to Orange arrogance. We say no to the American government. ... Let's take out the Orange trash," political analyst Sergei Kurginyan said at the rally, which he co-organized. Like others, he said opponents plan to overthrow Putin through public protests, like those during Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution.