video transcript

Thousands brave Moscow's icy winter to oppose the adoption of Russian children by families abroad. The protest comes after a three-year-old Russian orphan recently died in the care of his American adoptive parents. Although U.S. authorities said the death was accidental, officials in Moscow have claimed child abuse and called for a ban on Americans adopting Russian children. Across the city, thousands more demonstrated, calling for everything from better living conditions to an end to political corruption. A number of political groups organised the march to tackle what they called "everyday problems." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN STATE DUMA DEPUTY ILYA PONOMARYOV "The main goal is to talk about real problems that concern simple people everyday - not about some highbrow politics, parliamentary republics, democracy, elections." Around 2,000 people are estimated to have taken part in the protest rally highlighting the problems encountered in daily life.