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ANTITERROR RALLY IN MOSCOW

MOSCOW, September 7 (RIA Novosti) - An antiterrorist rally involving several thousand people that took place near Red Square began with a minute of silence in commemoration of terrorist act victims in Beslan.

Memorial bells were heard over Red Square at this moment.

Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna delivered consolation words from Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and all Russia. He said such acts would never shake the spirit of the nation.

The rally participants carried posters that read "We can't be freightened," "People! Be vigilant," "Only scoundrels and cowards fight against children," "War on terror - peace to Caucasus," "We won't get down to our knees before scum." A big poster in English read, "If you want to help, extradite Zakayev" (Akhmed Zakayev is Chechen separatists' emissary who received political asylum in the United Kingdom).

Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov called on Muscovites to be vigilant and help authorities fight terrorism.

"We must stop terrorism. This is our common task. We must stop being indifferent. We must help the law enforcement bodies identify terrorists," said Mr. Luzhkov.

He said on Monday he was in Beslan where "the sky cried following those killed in this unprecedented tragedy to their graves." "Today the Moscow sky is crying following to their graves the special forces officers who saved children in Beslan at the cost of their life," said Mr. Luzhkov.

"Anguish and alarm gathered us here. Our will is to defeat this horrible evil - terror, to defeat these monsters," said the mayor.

"We are strong in our unity. We can and must organize a powerful rebuff to terrorists. Russia can't be defeated," said Mr. Luzhkov.

The rally participants called to bring the perpetrators and masterminds of the terrorist acts to account.

"We demand to unfold a merciless fight against the perpetrators and masterminds of the terrorist acts wherever the criminals are and whoever inspires them," reads a resolution adopted at the rally. It was read out by well-known actor Vasily Lanovoi.

Besides, the resolution contains a demand to consolidate the state unity of the country, toughen the punishment for those involved in terror.

"Such crimes must have no mitigating circumstances," reads the resolution. "We demand that the orderers, perpetrators and accomplices of terrorists be brought to account and punished. Terrorism must be put to its knees and eliminated. We will win!"

"Our sorrow will not become our fear. The tragedy will unite us even more. Russia will be a united, integral, multinational state," notes the resolution.