Russia's anti-Kremlin opposition said on Monday it planned to stage a big protest next month against President Vladimir Putin's proposed constitutional changes, which is cast as a ploy for Putin to rule for life.
Putin, in a surprise move, last week unveiled a sweeping shake-up of the political system which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government.
Putin's changes, which would amend the constitution to create new centers of power outside the presidency, were seen by many as giving the 67-year-old scope to extend his grip on power once his term expires in 2024.
Opposition politician Ilya Yashin on Monday announced what he said were coordinated opposition plans for a protest march against Putin's initiative on Feb. 29 in Moscow.
"Society needs a big and genuinely mass protest," wrote Yashin, who said Putin's changes amounted to a move to "rule forever".
"It will be a political march, the main aim of which will be to call for the rotation of power and to protest against the usurpation of power," said Yashin.