Stones, bottles thrown as pro-, anti-Russian protesters clash in Crimea.
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Source: RT News
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 [of Crimea] 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.
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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.
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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.
There is included some riveting video of the two crowds and their reactions toward each other.
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Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)
Xithras
(16,191 posts)Historically Crimea was populated by the Tatars, who are a Muslim Turkic people and were part of the Ottoman Empire. The Russian Empire eventually invaded Crimea and it passed from the Ottoman's to the Russian's, and eventually became part of the Soviet Union.
In the 1950's the Soviet Union did some internal reorganization and attached the Crimea to Ukraine. It was the first time in history that the Ukrainians had ever ruled the Crimean peninsula. When the Soviet Union fell, the Crimeans declared their independence for one whopping day, but quickly struck a deal with Ukraine that allowed them almost total autonomy in exchange for remaining part of Ukraine.
Ethnically more than 70% of the population are Russian and Crimean Tatar, and Russian and Tatar are the primary languages spoken there. Ethnic Ukrainians only make up about a quarter of the population.
If the Crimeans wanted to split, they'd have Russia's backing. I don't know that Ukraine would even bother fighting them for it.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)Please direct comments to this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014739260
Sorry for the lock.
