Thousands of people gathered in different cities in Russia, especially in the capital Moscow, protested the state's restrictions on the internet.

Protesters shouted slogans; "pull your hand off the internet," "no to isolation," "stop cutting the Internet". According to independent sources, yesterday's demonstrations was one of the largest protests in recent years.

The Russian senate recently adopted a bill that makes it easier for the state to implement stricter control over the internet against "possible virtual isolation of foreign powers" and "external interference".

In recent years, access to some websites and messaging services such as Telegram have been blocked in the country. (ILKHA)