TODAY: Thousands march against Kremlin as Putin ‘elected’ head of People’s Front; Sobyanin wants tougher penalties for migrant workers, prepares for election; Germany slams new anti-gay law, Russia unswayed; Rosneft teaming up with ExxonMobil on Arctic; BP cuts Russia reserves estimate.

Thousands of opposition activists marched in Moscow yesterday for Russia Day, calling for an end to President Vladimir Putin’s rule and the release of all political prisoners.  Protesters carried placards bearing images of Bolotnaya Square prisoners, Pussy Riot, and Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and chanted ‘Putin is a thief!’  Police (‘known for giving derisory estimates‘) said 6,000 protesters joined; organisers said they gathered 30,000 (drawing more reasonable estimates of 10-15,000).  Alexei Navalny and his wife led the protest with a large banner reading ‘For your freedom and ours’, and protesters reportedly called for his election as Moscow mayor, chanting ‘Navalny is our mayor’.  Both RFE/RL and Novaya Gazeta posted videos of the march.  As his citizens marched against him, Vladimir Putin’s pro-Kremlin All-Russia People’s Front movement held its founding conference, at which it was announced that Putin had been ‘elected’ its leader.  The organisation announced its goal as being ‘to unite people across the ideological spectrum’.