Motorists protest against Putin on Moscow's streets

Sergei Karpukhin  /  REUTERS

A car drives with a flag showing a portrait of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a car rally to show support for Putin's presidential candidacy in Moscow on Saturday.

Hundreds of Russians protesting against Vladimir Putin drove through Moscow Sunday ahead of the March 4 presidential election expected to seal his grip on power.

Cars adorned with white ribbons and balloons, which have become the symbol of the largest protest movement against Putin's 12-year rule, moved bumper-to-bumper through the city, competing with a rally of his supporters hours earlier.

"There are a lot of people who do not agree with the current authorities," said Dmitry, 29, standing next to a red car tied with white ribbons. "We've come out to show ... that we don't agree (with the situation) and want other people to know how many of us there are."

The anti-Putin rallies began after a disputed election in December handed his United Russia party a slim parliamentary majority.

Putin was president from 2000-2008 when he was barred by the constitution from running for a third successive term but has remained in charge as Russia's prime minister. His re-election could see him stay in power until 2024.

A rally of his supporters Saturday night saw motorists with pictures of Putin and Russian flags stream along Moscow's main ring road. Police said there were 2,000 participants.

Putin's supporters say he led the country out of chaos after the collapse of the Soviet Union and oversaw a rise in living standards during the oil-fuelled boom of his presidency.  More >>