More than 100,000 demonstrators in Moscow against Putin

Thousands of protesters gathered shouting "Russia will be free," protested in Moscow on Tuesday against the third term of President Vladimir Putin, despite heavy police repression of opposition leaders the day before.

The crowd, composed of young, mostly wore white ribbons, a symbol of the movement, followed by a major avenue to Pushkin Square, while Putin launched threats in a speech to mark the national holiday Russian, that any kind of lift will be tolerated.

One of the organizers says that the so-called "March of Millions" gathered more than 100,000 people. Have the police department of the Russian capital accounted for only 18,000 participants.

However, aerial images of the main demonstration seemed to show at least twice the number reported by the police."Dear friends, are afraid of us and we are not afraid of them," said the veteran opposition leader Boris Nemtsov to a crowd smiling Sakharov avenue, the scene resembles the manifestations of six months ago.

The protest takes place in a climate of tension, after dozens of homes of opposition leaders were searched on Monday, an act condemned by Washington and that has raised fears that the former KGB agent could lead the country to a setback political.

Almost all the leaders of the mobilization were absent, summoned by an investigating committee to talk about the clashes during the demonstration on May 6.Putin pledged on Tuesday that will not allow his six years in office are shaken by riots.

"We can not accept anything that weakens our country and divide society," Putin said at an event for the Russian national holiday. "Any decision or measure that leads to social unrest and economic is unacceptable."

Analysts see the move as the biggest challenge ever faced by the strong man in his 12 years of domination in Russia as president and prime minister.Putin, in turn, chose to respond to protests with repression and repeatedly accused the State Department U.S. of inciting the protests indirectly with money.

A spokesman for the State Department, Victoria Nuland, indicated that the second-beast that Washington "is deeply concerned about the apparent pursuit of the Russian opposition leaders on the eve of the planned date for the demonstration."