UKRAINE: Pro-Russia rally takes place; UN envoy meets Donetsk governor

Record ID: 214514

  • Title: UKRAINE: Pro-Russia rally takes place; UN envoy meets Donetsk governor
  • Date: 23rd March 2014
  • Summary: DONETSK, UKRAINE (MARCH 23, 2014) (REUTERS) START OF PRO-RUSSIA RALLY, ABOUT 1,000 PROTESTERS RALLY ON LENIN SQUARE, RUSSIAN FLAG FLOATING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS BANNER FROM 'RUSSIAN BLOC' POLITICAL PARTY STATUE OF LENIN PROTESTERS WITH BANNER READING (Russian) 'DONBASS IS FOR CUSTOM UNION WITH RUSSIA' ELSEWHERE IN TOWN, GOVERNOR OF DONETSK REGION SERHIY TARUTA MEETING WITH UNITED NATIONS UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS JEFFREY FELTMAN TARUTA FELTMAN MEETING IN PROCESS
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7QW6QE71H3XL58UG891GJEK5B
  • Story Text: A pro-Russian protest took place in Donetsk on Sunday (March 23), which grew to four or five thousands as the afternoon passed by.
    Protesters gathered on Lenin Square before marching to the regional governor building.
    They called for closer ties with Russia.
    Many people living in eastern Ukraine are native Russian speakers and see themselves as closer to Russians across the border than to Ukrainian-speakers in the west of their country. Some agree with Putin that the new government in Kiev, which includes right-wing nationalists, is both illegal and fascist.
    Calls for a referendum similar to that in Crimea are common. Many people stop short of seeking Crimean-style union with Russia but want more autonomy for the heavily industrialised and heavily populated eastern regions of the Donbass coalfield.
    Elsewhere in town on Sunday, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman met Donetsk region Governor Serhiy Taruta. Feltman's visit came a day after U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon visited Ukraine to show his support for the country and its people.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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