(Moscow, February 23) - "Soldiers, Come Back Home!" Under this and other slogans ("No To Colonial War In Chechnya", "No To Militarism", "Sergei Kovalev, We Support You", "International Court For War Criminals", "Conscientious Objection Right - Now", "Guernica, Hiroshima, Grozny"), under the flag of Transnational Radical Party with symbol of Mahatma Gandhi, the demonstration against war in Chechnya, against militarism, for conscientious objection right took place today at 11.00 AM in front of Defence Ministry on Arbat Square in Moscow.

Co-sponsors of the demonstration were Committee of Soldiers' Mothers (which tabled the formal request to authorities), Radical Party, "Memorial" Society, Quaker Peace & Service, Buddhist order "Nippo-zan Meho-zi", Youth Anti-Militarist Committee (MAK). About 60 persons participated in demonstration.

As it was already reported earlier (text 5274 in Conference Radical Party), some hours before the action, prefecture of Central District of Moscow, which gave its permission on February 20, tried to disrupt the manifestation, informing by fax the organizers about postponing the time of picketing from 11.00 AM to 2.00 PM. Therefore, in the beginning of the action police attempted to prevent picketing of Defence Ministry, demanding to remove slogans. However, when refused to do it, police did not hinder the action anymore.

At 11.30 AM die-in was held: demonstrators fell onto the sidewalk to commemorate those perished in Chechnya and as a protest against continuing bloodshed.

Many Russian and foreign journalists were present to cover the anti-militarist manifestation near Defence Ministry.