Hundreds of thousands of rival demonstrators massed in towns across Russia yesterday to condemn or applaud social benefit reforms by President Vladimir Putin's government.
The rallies in 62 regions were the biggest since the crisis began and were countered for the first time by demonstrations in support of Putin, who has publicly reprimanded members of his cabinet for mishandling the benefit reforms.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said a total of 239,600 people attended 238 rallies across Russia, marshalled by around 21,600 police and 3,700 soldiers. But there were no clashes between Putin supporters and anti-reform protesters.
It was not clear how many were for Putin and how many against the reform.
"We don't specify who is for the reforms and who is against," the ministry spokesman said. "We're not a political organisation."
Thousands of pro-Putin demonstrators marched through the centre of Moscow, chaperoned by hundreds of armed police, in the first major turnout in favour of the president since the protests began last month in his home-town of St Petersburg.
"There's no reason to be dissatisfied with Putin. We're here to show our support and love for him," said Anatoly, a former navy officer in his 80s, who declined to give his last name.
Police at the scene said the crowd, mainly pensioners, numbered 5,000 to 6,000 people, but the Interior Ministry put the number much higher, at 40,000.
"Maintain stability, support the president," read the wide banner carried by the front rank of marchers.
Ekho Moskvy radio station reported some of the protesters complaining that they had been dragooned into taking part, with workers promised bonuses and students awarded extra study credits for showing up, and soldiers ordered to do so.
Police cordoned off much of central Moscow while the march passed, forcing residents to wait on the icy streets until the protesters, with their mass-produced banners declaring "Putin, we're with you!" and "Communists, get serious!" had gone.
The new law strips millions of the poorest Russians - pensioners, low-income families and disabled people - of rights such as free bus travel and free healthcare, replacing them with small cash payments instead.
The issue has caused the biggest dent in Putin's popularity since he breezed through his re-election a year ago and gave communist and nationalist deputies ammunition for a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in the government last week.
The government survived that vote, but parliament forced an embarrassing apology from Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and secured a 30 per cent hike in the basic state pension.