MOSCOW — Several thousand opposition supporters are marching through the Russian capital to demand the release of people they consider political prisoners.
Sunday's demonstration is intended to show support for the people arrested after May 2012 clashes between protesters and police on the eve of President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a third presidential term. Their arrests and trials were widely seen as part the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent.
The protesters carried signs with slogans such as "Free Political Prisoners" and pictures of those arrested. The march, which was sanctioned by authorities, went on peacefully amid a heavy police presence.
The number of demonstrators was low compared to a series of massive demonstrations in Moscow in the winter 2011-2012, which attracted 100,000 or more who rallied against Putin's return to the presidency.