At least 10,000 protesters marched through the eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk Saturday in support of a popular local governor arrested this week for allegedly ordering several murders. A court in Moscow on Friday ruled to hold 50-year-old Sergei Furgal for two months pending trial for the murders of several businessmen 15 years ago. He vehemently denied any involvement. Furgal’s nationalist Liberal-Democratic Party has thrown its weight behind the governor, and on Saturday said “35,000 people came out to the streets” in Khabarovsk to protest his arrest. But the rally, estimated by various sources to have involved between 10,000 – 40,000, was clearly fuelled by broader anti-Kremlin sentiments too, with people chanting anti-Vladimir Putin slogans. Local news website DVHab.ru called the rally “the biggest in the history of Khabarovsk”, saying the crowds temporarily blocked traffic as they walked through the city of more than 600,000 inhabitants. Footage showed people shouting “Freedom!” “Moscow go away!” and “Sergei Furgal is our choice” as they walked. Some held posters saying “We are Sergei Furgal!” Others demanded that Furgal be flown back from Moscow and the charges investigated locally.