Pro And Anti-Russian Demonstrators Clash In Ukraine’s Crimea

[Purveyor]

Source: France 24

Pro-Russian demonstrators clashed with supporters of Ukraine's new interim authorities in the politically sensitive Crimea peninsula on Wednesday.

About 20,000 Crimean Muslim Tatars who rallied in support of the interim government clashed with a smaller pro-Russian rally outside the parliament building in Crimea’s regional capital Simferopol.

Protesters were seen attacking each other with stones, bottles and punches, as police and leaders of both rallies struggled to keep the two groups apart.

At least one person died in the scuffles, probably of a heart attack, the Interfax news agency reported, while a health official said at least 20 people had been injured.

Split from Ukraine?

Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20140226-pro-anti-russian-demonstrators-clash-ukraine-crimea/

[OKNancy]

1. kick

[another_liberal]

2. RT News covered this event as well.

They also include some riveting video of the confrontations:

Bottles, stones and flags flew in the air as thousands of pro- and anti-Russian demonstrators clashed in front of the parliament building in Simferopol, the capital of Ukraine's autonomous Crimea region. Tension between the rival groups rallying next to one another intensified after hours of demonstrating, with people wielding Russian, Ukrainian, Crimean and Crimean Tatar flags getting involved in clashes. Demonstrators slammed each other with flags and threw stones as leaders on both sides urged their followers to avoid provocations. One person taking part in the demonstrations died of a heart attack, the Crimean Health Ministry reported. Five people also sought medical help due to high blood pressure and two more received light injuries in clashes, according to Itar-Tass.

The head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Refat Chubarov, eventually called for the participants of the rally to go home peacefully. Crimea shall not be divided by “provocations” and its people will decide the future of the region on their own, Chubarov said in a heated speech. “We have gathered here to ensure that the Supreme Council is no longer a center of destabilization. We may be different in our approach, but we are one in blood and in our love for Crimea. Our task for today is not to let any clashes happen here on this square. We are trying to find a common approach to building the future of Crimea,” Chubarov said, addressing the demonstrators. He also blamed the Crimean authorities for what is now happening and called for a new session of the local parliament to be held. Chubarov then handed the microphone to the leader of Russian Unity party, Sergey Aksyonov, who also urged the demonstrators to avoid clashes.

(snip)

The rival groups are protesting for and against the new national authorities in Kiev. Part of the residents proclaimed that Crimea are not going to obey Kiev, while the local Muslim community of Crimean Tatars expressed support for the new Ukrainian authorities. Two separate rallies, consisting of several thousands of protesters, faced each other on Wednesday. Russians shouted “Russia-Russia!” and “Berkut!”, the name of the special police task force disbanded yesterday by the new Ukrainian authorities, who blame them for heavy-handed policing of opposition activists in recent months in central Kiev. The Muslim community protesters were shouting “Ukraine-Ukraine!” and “Crimea is not Russia!” Pro-Russian demonstrators were holding Russian flags, while Tatars were holding Ukrainian flags and flags of their own nationalist organizations. Video footage from the scene appeared to show that both sides were preparing for a clash. Police officers attempted to separate the two sides. The police were unarmed except for rubber batons.

Read more: http://rt.com/news/crimea-ukraine-protest-clashes-840/

A divided land within a divided land. Here's hoping cooler heads prevail in the Crimea.