Dozens held on polling day

Russians protest pension reforms

MOSCOW: Thousands of Russians turned out to protest deeply unpopular pension reforms on Sunday as the country voted in local elections. Police arrested more than 150 people who were taking part in nationwide demonstrations called by jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, independent monitor OVD-info said. At least 2,000 people rallied in central Moscow, an AFP correspondent said, as the capital held a mayoral election the Kremlin-backed incumbent is sure to win. "They’re spending money on the army in Syria, in Ukraine, for the president’s friends, but nothing for pensioners," Olga Chenushka, a 44-year-old finance manager told AFP. Tatyana Rechetskaya, a 21- year-old primary school teacher, described the reforms as "the last straw, we can’t bear it". Plans to raise the state pension age to 60 for women and 65 for men has led to a rare outburst of public anger and seen Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings take a hit. The hike, the first such move in nearly 90 years, would bring retirement more in line with the West, but critics point out a lower life expectancy means many will never see their pensions. In Saint Petersburg, a largely young crowd of around 1,000 people shouted "shame" and held signs calling for Putin’s resignation. "People are demanding the money they have earned. They have the right. But they’re even being denied the right to protests," Irina Akopenkova, 47, told AFP in Russia’s second city. Five people were arrested in Saint Petersburg, two in Moscow, 44 in the Siberian city of Omsk and dozens more in rallies elsewhere, OVD-info said mid-afternoon. Google removed Navalny’s advertisements for the rally at the request of the Russian authorities, a close aide of the opposition leader said at the weekend. Moscow had previously warned the US internet giant against "meddling" in the election. Google’s Russian office said it required advertisers to comply with local laws, in comments reported by news

agencies. The protest comes as Russians vote to elect governors, local lawmakers and other officials. The Moscow mayoral election is the highest-profile of the votes, but serious opposition candidates have been kept off the ballot paper in favour of incumbent Sergei Sobyanin. — AFP