Newsletter, February 23, 1995, 2:00 P.M.

Today action of protest against war in Chechnia took place in front of MINISTRY of defence. Several legality protection and pacifist organizations participated in the action. Defenders of the law continue the week of activity against war in Chechnia. The week was begun last Sunday by hanging moaning stripes alone Tverskaya street.

Picketing the MINISTRY of defence on Thursday has nearly failed. The day before the prefecture of Central district has informed Committee of Soldiers' Mothers about postponement of the action till a later time. However, it was too late to inform all future participants, so organizers decided not to change anything. At 11 A.M. soldiers' mothers in black cloths and with slogans in their hands stood in a row along Yanyshev side-street in front of the military department. Members of "Memorial" and Transnational Radical party, Buddhist order (with an invariable musicians) and International Religious Quaker organization.

Quakers told journalists, that similar actions of protest will take place in Rome, London, Paris, Bonn and Kiev.

Militia did not drove participants away, but undertook activity to make the picket local, using armed forces. Yanyshev side-street was separated from the world by portable fence, and near "Arbatskaya" metro station polite militia men told journalists, that there was no picket at all. However, they didn't believe them, do in Thursday evening the world will know that not everybody likes the war in Chechnia. "War in Chechnia is a shame of Russia"; "A right to refuse of military service -- NOW!"; "Sergey Kovaliov, we are with you" -- were slogans of the participants.

The action ended at the noon with scansion "Do not kill!", "Peaceful Home", "NO to war in Chechnia!". However, the week of action is on. On Friday, at 11 A.M. defenders of legality are going to picket the building of Russian government from side of Krasnopresnitskaya quay. On Saturday, a "guard of protest" is planned to be carried out on Sovetskaya square. If administration would not allow it, demonstrants will move to Pushkinskaya square.

Alexey Tereschenko, "Open Radio -- 2x2"

Translated into English by A.Prishchenko, Kiev, 24/02/1995