(Moscow, October 8, 1997) -- Today members of Antimilitarist Radical Association organized a "Cross Procession" of protest against military expenses. ARA militants carried on their shoulders 10 big crosses symbolizing the burden of military expenses. The procession started at the Parliamentary Center in Tsvetnoj boulevard and stopped in Okhotnyj Rjad at the State Duma where the Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin was reporting back to the deputies on the fulfillment of the state budget. ARA militants remained at the main entrance to the State Duma till 10:00 a.m. holding a walk around with the burden of military expenses on their shoulders.

Secretary of ARA Nikolaj Khramov, nominated for next election in the Moscow City Duma (Election district 25), took part in this procession as well. Khramov declared:

``Not only the demonstrators, but the whole society, all Russian people are carrying the crucifix of enormous military expenses. The sense of our action is very simply - we want every doctor and every schoolteacher, every employee of the budget organizations to ponder over one problem. Where does the money disappear? How does the state spend the money they earn with their honest work and never receive.

According to the budget 1998, 97 billion of rubles will be spent to cover military expenses. It is three times more than the planned expenses for public health service and education put together. However, only 4 billion are clearly destined for a military reform. The reason of this camouflage is obvious. By analogy with the ransom that was to be paid to Chechen bandits for the liberation of kidnapped journalists, now the government of liberal reforms has to pay a ransom to a band of blackmailers, lead by the rebel general Rokhlin and friends. Otherwise, if the reforms go on and overall strength of the army and military expenses are cut down, their band threatens openly to perform a military coup d'etat.''