- Title: UKRAINE: Sevastopol residents rally to join Russia
- Date: 8th March 2014
- Summary: SEVASTOPOL, UKRAINE (MARCH 8, 2014) (REUTERS) MAN SPEAKING ON STAGE AT RALLY VARIOUS OF CROWD WAVING RUSSIAN FLAGS COUPLE LISTENING TO SPEECH AT RALLY MAN ANNOUNCING FROM STAGE WITH BANNER "SO DEFEND SEVASTOPOL" CROWD CHANTING "HURRAY", "SEVASTOPOL, SEVASTOPOL" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SEVASTOPOL RESIDENT, LYDIA DYAGELEVA, SAYING: "Am I still Ukrainian even if I was born in Novosibirsk region? Where should I go now? Nobody is waiting for me in Novosibirsk. And I have children and grandchildren. What should I do? I just want to seek justice. I have been Russian and I want to remain Russian." PEOPLE AT PROTEST RUSSIAN PATRIOTIC RIBBON ON MAN'S SHOULDER WIDE OF RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SEVASTOPOL RESIDENT, DMITRY SOROKIN, SAYING: "The need (to protest) lies, let's speak openly, in imperfect Ukrainian economic laws. And the most important is that most of us are Russian natives, I was born in this city, lived in this city." WIDE OF RALLY WOMAN DANCING, SINGING SONG ABOUT SEVASTOPOL RUSSIAN PATRIOTIC RIBBON ON MAN'S COAT VARIOUS OF CROWD WAVING RUSSIAN FLAGS, DANCING WOMAN HOLDING FLAG SAYING "RUSSIA"
- Embargoed: 23rd March 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVABEL92J9A0B2F8GE3XYFE48S45
- Story Text: A pro-Russian rally in Crimea's Sevastopol gathered around 2,000 people on Saturday (March 8). Despite the rain, the crowd danced, waved Russian flags and chanted Russian songs in support of the upcoming referendum on March 16, which will decide whether the currently Ukraine but historically Russian Black Sea peninsula should rejoin Russia.
Russia's seizure of the Black Sea peninsula, which began about 10 days ago, has so far been bloodless, but its forces have become increasingly aggressive towards Ukrainian troops, who are trapped in bases and have offered no resistance.
Tempers have grown hotter in the last two days, since the region's pro-Moscow leadership declared it part of Russia and announced a referendum to confirm it.
Overnight, Russian troops drove a truck into a missile defence post in Sevastopol, the home of both their Black Sea Fleet and the Ukrainian navy, and a narrow ethnic Russian majority.
"Am I still Ukrainian even if I was born in Novosibirsk region? Where should I go now? Nobody is waiting for me in Novosibirsk. And I have children and grandchildren. What should I do? I just want to seek justice. I have been Russian and I want to remain Russian," said Sevastopol resident Lydia Dyageleva.
Crimea's election commission is considering one question to submit to Sevastopol voters: Do you agree for the autonomous republic of Crimea to become a subject of the Russian federation?
The 1992 constitution sees Crimea as part of Ukraine.
"The need (to protest) lies, let's speak openly, in imperfect Ukrainian economic laws. And the most important is that most of us are Russian natives, I was born in this city, lived in this city."
Although Western countries dismiss the upcoming referendum as illegal and likely to be falsified, many in the region do feel deep hostility to Kiev, and supporters of union with Moscow have controlled the streets, waving Russian flags and chanting "Rossiya! Rossiya!". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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