Ukraine: Gunmen seize Crimea government buildings

[another_liberal]

9. A few more details . . .

Local ethnic Russian ‘self-defense squads’ have taken control of and raised Russian flags over the buildings of the Crimean parliament and government in the region’s capital, Simferopol. Ukraine's autonomous region is divided over the acceptance of new authorities in Kiev. Thousands gathered in front of the parliament building on Wednesday with crowds split between those supporting the new government and those calling for integration with Russia. Two people died and over 30 were injured in clashes.

At around 4am local time, an unknown group of people barricaded themselves inside the buildings. According to local officials, those people might have been armed. The men wore black and orange ribbons, a Russian symbol of the victory in World War II, according to AP. They placed a Russian flag on top of the Council of Ministers.

Journalists who in the morning tried to approach the parliament building had a stun grenade fired at them. RT’s video agency Ruptly filmed the incident.

(snip)

Included is video of a grenade attack on reporters trying to approach the Crimea's Parliament building.

The country’s police and Interior Ministry troops have been on alert in connection with the situation in Crimea, Arsen Avakov, Ukraine’s acting interior minister said on his Facebook page. Avakov said the areas around the seized buildings have been cordoned off by police to prevent civilian casualties. Law enforcement authorities are stationed next to the Council of Ministers, with officers banning people from approaching the building, Interfax-Ukraine reported, citing the press service of the Crimean parliament.

The buildings are reportedly occupied by ‘self-defense squads’ of 50 Russian-speaking locals each. They allowed those who were inside at the moment of seizure to leave. They later let inside the seized parliament around 15 Crimean MPs, including the speaker Vladimir Konstantinov. They are holding a session the agenda of which is not yet clear.

(snip)

http://rt.com/news/crimea-parliament-building-capture-987/