Russians rally against raising pension ages for men, women

Opponents of the Russian government's proposal to raise the eligibility ages for pensions are holding demonstrations throughout the country.

Several hundred people held an unsanctioned rally in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok. Authorized rallies also took place Sunday in the Far East and Siberia, as well as in western Russia. No cities hosting the soccer World Cup were affected.

Russia's Cabinet sent parliament a proposal last month to gradually bring the pension age for men from 60 to 65 and to increase it from 55 to 63 for women. The average pension is 14,000 rubles ($230) a month.

The issue spans an unusually wide swath of Russian politics. Rallies were organized by the Communist Party, the liberal Yabloko party and the organization of Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most vehement foe.