Thousands of protesters rallied in dozens of Russian cities yesterday against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s government as opposition groups mobilised anger over economic woes.

Authorities have banned rallies in many other cities, but organisers plan to go ahead with unsanctioned protests in Moscow and Kaliningrad, setting the stage for clashes with police.

More than a thousand protesters gathered in the chill in far east port of Vladivostok for the earliest protest holding placards proclaiming “No to Taxes” and “Enough Coddling Oligarchs at the Expense of the People!”.

In Saint Petersburg, about 1,000 protesters cheered a list of demands ranging from Putin’s resignation to preserving the cities cultural centre to lower prices on utilities and municipal services.

“If there are no changes in Russian leadership in the near future, then our country will cease to be. It will collapse from corruption and bad domestic politics,” said one protester, Vadim Alexandrov, 43.

Dubbed the ‘Day of Anger’, the nationwide protest are being orchestrated by a mishmash of groups - rights activists, the Communist Party, the opposition Solidarity movement and the Federation of Motorists - in a bid to transform scattered discontent into something bigger.

The demonstrations have gained momentum mainly over bread-and-butter issues after the global economic downturn brought short almost ten years of growth in Russia.