Russian 'Day of Anger' tests govt

Thousands of protesters rallied in dozens of Russian cities on Saturday against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's government as opposition groups mobilised anger over economic woes.

Authorities have banned rallies in many other cities, but organisers plan to go ahead with unsanctioned protests in Moscow and Kaliningrad, setting the stage for clashes with police.

More than a thousand protesters gathered in the chill in far east port of Vladivostok for the earliest protest holding placards proclaiming "No to Taxes" and "Enough Coddling Oligarchs at the Expense of the People!".

In Saint Petersburg, about 1000 protesters cheered a list of demands ranging from Putin's resignation to preserving the cities cultural centre to lower prices on utilities and municipal services.

Some 500 people rallied in the Siberian city of Irkutsk against Putin's approval of the reopening of a paper mill, which will dump waste into Lake Baikal, the world's deepest fresh water body.

"If there are no changes in Russian leadership in the near future, then our country will cease to be. It will collapse from corruption and bad domestic politics," Vadim Alexandrov, 43, told AFP at the Saint Petersburg rally.

Dubbed the "Day of Anger", the nationwide protest are being orchestrated by a mishmash of groups - rights activists, the Communist Party, the opposition Solidarity movement and the Federation of Motorists - in a bid to transform scattered discontent into something bigger.

The demonstrations have gained momentum mainly over bread-and-butter issues after the global downturn brought short almost a decade of growth in Russia, with recent local elections showing an ebb in support for the dominant United Russia party.

Many protesters said they were galvanised over a hike on car owners' taxes and unhappy over the government's anti-crisis policies.

"I came because I'm worried about the rising prices of electricity and gas. I have a small pension and I have to live somehow," 72-year-old Ivan, who gave only his first name, told AFP.

Organisers complained that authorities have used a variety of tactics to try to minimise protests.

Opposition group Solidarity declared Saturday that its website hosting forums on the planned rallies was shut down by police who deemed it extremist.

But only few dozen police were on hand at rallies in Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok, according to AFP correspondents.

Last year, the government pumped billions into supporting failing Soviet-era industries in its regions, fearing that mass layoffs amid a more than eight per cent contraction in growth could snowball into wider social unrest.

The Kremlin was caught off guard in January when near 10,000 people rallied in the European enclave of Kaliningrad for the resignation of Putin and the regional governor in the largest protest since the crisis first hit Russia in 2008.

But organisers in Kaliningrad cancelled official plans for a new protest Saturday after offers of talks with officials and amid fears of police crackdowns.