Mass Moscow rally backs Putin Kremlin bid

Tens of thousands of Vladimir Putin supporters marched through Moscow on Thursday ahead of a gigantic rally seeking to prove his bid for the Kremlin enjoys popular support despite an outburst of protests.

Under the slogan "Protect the Country", some 30,000 Putin supporters marched along the Moscow river embankment in the Russian capital just over a week ahead of the March 4 presidential election, police said in a statement. (AFP)