Thousands in Moscow protest election

More than 20,000 people packed downtown Moscow Saturday to protest alleged fraud in this month's Russian parliamentary elections, state media reported. The government issued a permit allowing as many as 50,000 people to convene in the wake of other protests throughout the country after the Dec. 4 election gave Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party a slim parliamentary majority, the RIA Novosti news agency said. There is also a widespread public call for the firing of elections chief Vladimir Churov, who has repeatedly denied allegations of election fraud, the agency said. The protests appear to be having an effect, as the Russian presidential council on human rights called late Friday for Churov to resign in light of numerous Internet video postings showing apparent ballot box-stuffing by election officials. The ITAR-Tass news agency said protesters were required to pass through metal detectors in order to join the demonstration. Russia is scheduled to hold presidential elections March 4, in which Putin will seek a return to the presidency, the country's most senior political position.