(Credit: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) Thousands of anti-government demonstrations broke out on Monday in Russia as critics of president Vladimir Putin took to the streets to protest his policies and the economic stagnation that has held the country in its grip for several years Although Putin has enjoyed high approval ratings during his second presidential term, there remains a significant discontent with his rule which is not discussed much in the Russian media, much of which is directly owned by the government or people connected to Putin. According to social media and press reports, Aleksei Navalny, a politician who heads the Progress Party and who had organized another day of protest against Putin in March, was arrested as he left his home to head to a demonstration in Moscow. The Moscow protest is one of over 200 that have taken place in various cities across the nation.