Medvedev, Putin join May Day march in Moscow

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin toast with beer during a visit to a self-service restaurant after taking part in a march to celebrate International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, in Moscow May 1, 2012.[Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and President-elect Vladimir Putin attended a 150,000-people march in Moscow on Tuesday to mark the International Workers' Day, or May Day.

According to city police sources, some 150,000 people, accompanied by drumbeat and patriotic songs, have marched through the Tverskaya street, Moscow's main shopping thoroughfare, to Manezh Square outside the Kremlin walls.

Putin, also the incumbent prime minister, and Medvedev talked with some participants, many of whom carried banners to support the two political figures.

It is rare to see both Russian president and prime minister joining the May Day rally together after the collapse of the former Soviet Union.

On the same day, the country has also witnessed similar massive events in many cities to celebrate the May Day.

The May Day events, a yearly tradition inherited from the Soviet era, came one week before Putin's inauguration as the new Russian president on May 7.

Putin, the most influential political figure in Russia, had already served two terms of presidency from 2000 to 2008.