In Grozny, protesters against terror burn down portraits of militants' leaders

On October 26 in Grozny, activists of Chechen youth organizations held a mass rally against terror. Several hundreds of young people marched along the main street of the Chechen capital - Putin Avenue - and on the bank of the Sunzha River burnt down portraits of the leaders of the armed underground: Umarov, Zakaev Vadalov and Gakaev.

The unusual action was held under the slogan "Terrorism won't go!" Hundreds of boys and girls, dressed in T-shirts with portraits of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and white jackets, and with Russian and Chechen flags in hands, marched along the main street of the city, chanting the above slogan. The action was organized by the patriotic club "Ramzan" and other youth movements and students' organizations of the republic.

Sado Meserbiev, head of the youth patriotic club "Ramzan", said that the action was a sort of response to the attack of a group of militants on the building of the Chechen Parliament in Grozny, committed on October 19.

"We want to show that those attackers and the like are national traitors, who hate Russia and their nation and continue organizing terror acts aiming to weaken our country. They commit crimes to please their personal ambitions and their 'sponsors', Mr Meserbiev said addressing the rally.

Some of the participants said that initially they had no idea about the event. "Our lessons were cancelled; and we were told that we should take part in a rally. They put us into buses and brought into the downtown, where we were given T-shirts with Ramzan Kadyrov's portrait, posters and flags, and marched towards the mosque (the main mosque of the republic "Heart of Chechnya", - comment of the "Caucasian Knot")," a student of one of Grozny higher schools named Ramzan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"We're periodically attracted to such actions; and nobody cares whether you want to take part in them or not. They say you should, and that's it. If you refuse, you may then face problems with your tests and exams," another student said.

The head of a local NGO, who preferred to remain anonymous, believes that organizers all sort of actions in support of supreme Chechen authorities are primarily guided by their personal considerations.