ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, (Reuters):

About 1,500 people, half of them pensioners, marched through Russia's second city yesterday chanting anti-Kremlin slogans and banging saucepans in protest against rising food prices.

Three activists were detained during the largely peaceful "march of the empty saucepans" in St. Petersburg, organised by opponents of President Vladimir Putin who blames his leadership for a sharp rise in inflation this year.

"In Russia, 90 years ago, everything also began as a result of rising bread prices. People took to the streets and the tsar was overthrown," said Andrei Dmitriyev, leader of the banned National Bolshevik Party's St Petersburg branch.

Double-digit increase

Consumer prices are expected to post a double-digit increase this year.

Several hundred policemen lined the route of the march, which attracted activists from the National Bolshevik Party and the United Civil Front, an opposition group headed by ex-world chess champion Garry Kasparov. Kasparov himself was not present.

Putin enjoys enormous popularity in Russia and will lead the pro-Kremlin United Russia's party list in the December 2 election to the lower house of parliament. The constitution requires him to step down as president when his second term expires in March.