Watch: Thousands again hit streets to protest against pension reform after Putin's address

Despite recent promises of Russian President Vladimir Putin, thousands of people in Russia again came on streets on Sunday to protest against government plans to raise the pension age.

Around 9,000 people gathered 2.5 kilometres from the Kremlin, according to White Counter, an NGO that counts participants at rallies. However, the participants' number by Moscow police has been put at 6,000.

The principal organiser of these protest was KPRF Communist party.

Sunday's protests were seen as that the proposed policy still remains a politically sensitive issue for the government despite Putin promising people to soften a televised address on Wednesday.
 
During the speech, Putin took personal responsibility for the reform for the first time and described it as a financial necessity. He ended his address by asking the Russian people for their understanding.

He also diluted the draft pension reform legislation, introduced by the government on June 14. He offered to cut the proposed retirement age for women to 60 from a retirement age of 63 -- approved by the government earlier.

The pension age for men from 60 to 65 would remain unchanged, Putin said.

Given Russians' low life expectancy, many will not live long enough under the proposed system to receive a state pension but the government says the burden is simply too much for its stretched finances.

Putin, who had previously vowed not to raise the pension age, has seen public trust in his presidency fall to 64 per cent last month, down from 80 per cent in May, according to VTsIOM state pollster. 

(With inputs from news agencies)