Crowds protest Putin

Associated Press

MOSCOW

Undeterred by a sudden escalation in the Kremlin’s crackdown on the opposition, tens of thousands thronged Moscow’s tree-lined boulevards Tuesday in the first mass protest against Vladimir Putin since he returned to the presidency in May.

The crowd was even larger than at a demonstration on the eve of Putin’s inauguration, which disintegrated into violent clashes and ushered in the crackdown. Tuesday’s rally ended peacefully, as both protesters and riot police took pains to prevent a confrontation as tensions were already running high.

Putin himself spoke of the need “to strive for mutual understanding and to find compromise.”

Although in his address on Russia Day, a national holiday, he also warned of the dangers posed by attempts to split society.

Putin has taken a tougher stance on the opposition since beginning his third term May 7, but in recent days, the pressure has risen markedly.

Some of the most- charismatic protest leaders were called in for questioning Tuesday, a day after investigators raided their apartments.