Rallies protest Kremlin’s plan to hike pension eligibility age

Parliament. But widespread nationwide next Sunday. opposition has persisted and People who appeared to President Vladimir Putin’s be in their 20s and 30s made MOSCOW — Russians held ralapproval ratings in polls have up a large part of the Comlies throughout the country fallen notably since the plan munist-called rally in MosSunday to protest a govern- was announced. cow. Younger opponents of ment plan to raise the age In an unusual televised the move fear that keeping for receiving state pensions. address to the nation, Putin older people in the workforce

Several thousand people last week conceded that the longer will shrink job opporgathered in central Moscow pension age for women will tunities for them. Older peofor a protest organized by the be raised only to 60 rather ple complain they may not Communist Party. Another than the proposed 63. The live long enough to collect Moscow protest organized current pension age for significant benefits. by the A Just Russia party women is 55. “The reform that the govattracted about 1,500 people. The plan would retain the ernment offers deprives our

Other demonstrations raising of the men’s pension women of a normal penwere reported in at least a age from 60 to 65, imple- sion. This reform doesn’t dozen cities throughout the menting the steps up over give our youth the chance country including Vladivo- five years. to get a good job,” Commustok in the Far East, SimThe plan has attracted nist Party head Gennady feropol in Russia-annexed opposition from a notably Zyuganov said at the MosCrimea and Omsk, Barnaul wide specter of age groups cow rally. and Novosibirsk in Siberia. and political beliefs. Alexei The Comm u nists are

No arrests were immedi- Navalny, the anti-corruption demanding to have the issue ately reported. The rallies activist and Putin foe who put to a national referendum. had official sanction. has built his movement on The average life expec

The plan was introduced relatively young and well-ed- tancy in Russia is about in June and has passed first ucated urbanites, has called age 67 for men and 78 for reading in the lower house of for his supporters to rally women.