Students ordered to school on a Saturday as Russia resorts to 'devious tricks' to limit numbers at anti-Putin rally

Males over 17 also warned they could be conscripted into the Russian army if they protest

Tens of thousands expected to attend rally in Moscow in challenge to Putin's grip on power



Russian authorities today resorted to 'devious tricks' to limit the numbers attending an anti-Vladimir Putin rally which is expected to be the largest ever against the prime minister.



Pupils between 14 and 17 have been ordered to attend school tomorrow for hastily arranged tests during the hours of the protest.



They were warned they risk flunking their courses if they fail to sit at their desks for unprecedented Saturday exams.

Unrest: Supporters of Russia's Communist Party hold a rally to protest against the country's parliamentary elections. Pupils between 14 and 17 have now been ordered to attend school tomorrow by the authorities for hastily arranged tests

In another move, males over 17 were warned they could be conscripted into the Russian army if they attend the rally in Moscow or similar demonstrations in a dozen other cities across the country's nine time zones.

While this turned out to be false, the rumours were still being spread to discourage young people attending.



And the Kremlin's top doctor even warned demonstrators that they could cause a flu epidemic or spread other illness by attending the rally.



Under pressure: Authorities in Russia are trying to limit the numbers attending an anti-Vladimir Putin rally, expected to be the largest ever against the prime minister

Gennadi Onischenko, Russia's head sanitary doctor, urged Russians to stay away from the protests so they didn't get ill. 'I recommend not to go,' he said.



But a web reply from one of the organisers hit back: 'Ignore all these devious tricks from the authorities - and come to make your voice heard.'



People would attend in large numbers 'because they are sick of the party of swindlers and thieves,' said an opposition leader Yevgeniya Chirikova, referring to Putin's United Russia grouping which is accused of election robbery.



Respected teacher Sergei Volkov asked how he and his colleagues was supposed to explain about the extra lessons to pupils, when the real reason was to prevent teenagers and school staff swelling the protest numbers.



'Either we'll have to lie to our students, or we'll have to tell them that it's our state who lies,' he said.

Tens of thousands are expected to protest in Moscow after the authorities abandoned a bid to limit numbers to just 300.



Now the police have sanctioned a 30,000 limit but far more are expected. More than 50,000 have pledged on websites that they will attend.



Thousands of police and troops will be deployed in the first serious challenge to Putin's 11-year grip on Russian politics.



Not happy: A man wearing a Vladimir Putin mask during an unauthorised rally against alleged electoral fraud at recent elections

Few were ready to predict how it might end, with similar protests in other cities.



Newspaper Kommersant said the authorities were 'underestimating the changes occurring to the mass consciousness of society. And it is quite possible that this may end in a catastrophe not only for the authorities but also for society.'

