Thousands of people marched in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Saturday for the fourth weekend in a row, protesting at President Vladimir Putin's handling of a local political crisis.
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Residents of Khabarovsk, around 6,110 km and seven time zones east of Moscow, are unhappy about the July 9 detention of the wider region's popular regional governor, Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on murder charges he denies.
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His detention, which his supporters say was politically motivated, has triggered weeks of street protests, creating a headache for the Kremlin which is trying to troubleshoot a sharp COVID-19-induced drop in real incomes and keep a lid on unrest as the economy stutters.
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Sheltering from sporadic and heavy rain beneath umbrellas, protesters chanted "Freedom!" and "We came here of our own will." One banner read "Russia without Putin" and protesters chanted "Putin resign!"
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Many held up placards in solidarity with the arrested governor, reading "I am/We are Sergei Furgal". Some marchers wore face masks with the same slogan.
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City authorities estimated around 3,500 people had taken part. Some local media put the number at around 10,000 or higher, but said the crowds were smaller than one week ago.
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The protests have highlighted anger among some in the far east over what they see as policies emanating from detached Moscow-based authorities on the other side of the country.
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Supporters of Furgal, the arrested governor and a member of the nationalist LDPR party, feel he is being belatedly punished for defeating a candidate from the ruling pro-Putin United Russia party in 2018. The Kremlin says Furgal has serious charges to answer.
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Such sustained demonstrations are unusual for Russia's regions, as is the fact that the authorities have not yet moved to break them up. | Above: A woman carries a banner reading "Putin, why", during the rally.
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Putin has named a new acting governor, but protesters say he has no connection with the region and have called on him to step down too. | Above: A woman holds up a placard reading "Freedom for Sergei Furgal", during the protest.
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People carry a banner reading "Return Furgal for us", during an unauthorised rally in support of Sergei Furgal in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk.
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People carry a banner reading "Sergei Furgal", during the protest rally.
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People walk in the rain during an anti-Kremlin rally in support of former regional governor Sergei Furgal.
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