国际英语新闻:Russian Opposition Marches in Tribute to Murdered Leader

Tens of thousands of people marched in central Moscow Sunday to mourn murdered opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.

Many of the somber marchers carried Russian flags and placards saying, "I am not afraid," in memory of the veteran liberal politician and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin. Organizers said 70,000 people joined the march, while Moscow police said the crowd was much smaller, about 21,000.

Some of the marchers, young and old, carried pictures of the 55-year-old Nemtsov, who was shot dead Friday night on a bridge near the Kremlin while he was walking home from a restaurant.

Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, a staunch critic of  Putin, said he thinks the killing will prove to be a significant event in Russia's history.

"I understand, and I believe," Kasyanov said, "that this tragic event which happened two days ago is absolutely a turning point for the whole history of new Russia, a turning point because of simple reason: that people who before thought that they could quietly sit in their kitchens and simply just discuss problems within the family, now they will start reconsidering everything that's going on in our country."

'Russia without Putin'

VOA's Daniel Schearf, reporting from Moscow, said some protesters, as they  neared the bridge where Nemtsov was killed, briefly chanted, "Russia without Putin!"

The crowd was largely somber, but they did chant slogans, including "never forget, never forgive," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Sunday.

Russian authorities, usually slow to give permission for large opposition rallies, gave quick approval for the memorial march.

Nemtsov was to have led an anti-war and anti-Putin rally in Moscow Sunday. Instead, the memorial was planned for the man whom U.S. President Barack Obama called a "tireless advocate" for the rights of the Russian people.

Police are hunting for those responsible for shooting Nemtsov four times from a car while he and a female companion crossed a bridge over the Moscow River Friday night, just steps from the Kremlin. The woman was not hurt.

Mourners have continued to leave hundreds of flowers at the site where Nemtsov was killed.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Oleksiy Goncharenko was detained at the demonstration and may be charged in connection with a fire last May at the Odessa trade union building that killed over 40, according to Interfax.

Putin to oversee investigation

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the shooting looks like a contract killing, and he called it a "provocation." The Kremlin said he will personally oversee the investigation.

Authorities announced Sunday a reward of 3 million rubles -- about $50,000 -- for information about Nemtsov's murder.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States does not have any intelligence on who murdered Nemtsov. He called on Russian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation "not just of who actually fired the shots, but who, if anyone, may have ordered, instructed this or been behind this."

Putin sent a condolence letter to Nemtsov's mother, Dina Eidman, saying he sincerely shares her sorrow, and calling Nemtsov's death an irreparable loss.

But just a few weeks ago, Nemtsov told the Russian news website Sobesednik he thought Putin wanted him dead, and he did not hold back his contempt for the Russian leader.

"I'm afraid Putin will kill me. I believe that he was the one who unleashed the war in Ukraine. I couldn't dislike him more," Nemtsov said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko condemned Nemtsov's murder, calling him a "bridge" between Ukraine and Russia.

President Obama called the killing "brutal" murder, and said Russia must carry out a prompt and impartial investigation.

France's President Francois Hollande expressed anger at Nemtsov's death. He called the shooting a "hateful murder," and described Nemtsov as a "defender of democracy."