You're reading: Protesters gather for Moscow march

Thousands of protesters are gathering at a Moscow square for a march on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president.

The protest has been boldly billed by opposition leaders as the "March of a Million," but the early turnout indicates the numbers won’t be anywhere close to that. About 5,000 had gathered an hour before the planned start of the Sunday, May 6, march.

A wave of massive demonstrations over the winter emboldened opponents of Putin and the tightly controlled political system he has established. But after he won a return to the Kremlin in March elections, doubts have arisen over whether the opposition can maintain its momentum.

The march, starting at a square dominated by a towering statue of Vladimir Lenin, is to conclude on an island adjacent to the Kremlin.