'Russia without Putin" - the chant by thousands of demonstrators gathered in central Moscow to protest last Sunday's presidential poll.<br/> <br />Holding flags representing several political parties, they listen to opposition activists, journalists and vote monitors who accuse president-elect Vladimir Putin of cheating.<br/> <br />Amongst them, former chess master Garry Kasparov, who urged the crowd to keep fighting.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) OPPOSITION LEADER GARRY KASPAROV<br/> <br />"The most awful thing that can happen is that we lose heart, that we let this government win finally and say we no longer have a chance."<br/> <br />Others like 'Left Front' leader Sergei Udaltsov were more vocal.<br/> <br />He told protesters it's important to remind thieves and crooks in the Kremlin where the real power is - with the people.<br/> <br />Protest leaders were hoping for a high turnout to maintain pressure on Putin but numbers were significantly lower than the 50,000 expected.<br/> <br />Authorities were taking no chances however with hundreds of police and security personnel stationed across the city before the rally.<br/> <br />Putin says he won his six-year term as Kremlin chief, fairly, but European vote monitors have echoed opposition complaints that the election was slanted to favour him.<br/> <br />Sunita Rappai, Reuters
