Russian prosecutors move to block online calls for protests

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sits in court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 30, 2017. Many Western countries have condemned the arrests and called for the release of those sentenced to jail, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) (The Associated Press)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, foreground left, waits to hear a sentence in court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 30, 2017. Many Western countries have condemned the arrests and called for the release of those sentenced to jail, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Putin's most prominent foe. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) (The Associated Press)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, right, shows a V-sign for the media in court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 30, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected Western calls for the release of jailed protesters, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in his first public comments about a wave of nationwide rallies against government corruption. (AP Photo/Evgeny Feldman) (The Associated Press)

Russian prosecutors have moved to block calls on social networks for more street protests in Moscow and other Russian cities.

The action follows a nationwide wave of protests Sunday that saw tens of thousands demonstrators rallying across Russia, the largest outpouring of discontent in years, issuing a challenge to the Kremlin.

The Prosecutor General's office confirmed Friday it has requested the state communications watchdog to block pages on social networks calling for more protests in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia this coming Sunday.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who organized the protest last Sunday, is serving a 15-day jail term after being convicted of resisting police. More than 1,000 protesters were arrested in Moscow, and some of them also have been sentenced to brief jail terms and fines.