Kremlin says Russian opposition plans for weekend protest are illegal

Reuters
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov smiles as he arrives for a signing ceremony following a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF 2016) in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 17, 2016. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday said calls from prominent Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny to hold a protest rally in the centre of Moscow on Sunday were an illegal provocation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that official permission had not been granted for the rally, which organisers say is to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Peskov also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting in the Kremlin with French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, did not discuss financial aid for her campaign. (Writing by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Christian Lowe)