Protests against the draft constitutional revision proposed by President Vladimir Putin were organized in several cities in Russia today.
Analysts believe that in this way Putin is preparing the ground to preserve his influence after 2024, when he leaves the presidency.
The protests are organized in the form of one protester at a time in a public place, which is the only form of protest in Russia that does not require an assembly permit.
In St. Petersburg, however, several demonstrators were detained, according to the non-governmental organization OVD-Info, which monitors events at the protests.
The protest in Moscow was allowed in a place far from the center of the city, and was organized at the invitation of several opposition movements, including the Left Front of Sergey Udaltsov.
The organizers state that 3.000 people gathered, while the police reported that there were about 300 of them.
Udaltsov told the Interfax agency that he would like a referendum instead of an "incomprehensible public vote". Putin promised that the Russians would make a statement about the text, but did not say how.
OVD-Info added that protests were organized in several other cities in Russia, including Arkhangelsk in the northwest and Ulan-Ude in Siberia.
In mid-January, Putin suddenly announced a revision of the Constitution that will strengthen several prerogatives of the president and the role of the State Council, which is currently a consultative body.
After that, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev resigned together with the entire government. The constitutional amendments proposed by Putin were unanimously adopted in the parliament at the end of January.
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