- Title: UKRAINE: Pro-Russian demonstators march and rally in Donetsk city centre
- Date: 28th May 2014
- Summary: DONETSK, UKRAINE (MAY 28, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE FILING INTO PARK PAN OF CROWD LISTENING TO SPEAKER MAN SPEAKING, SAYING 'NOBODY WANTS WAR' MEN STANDING WITH A BANNER READING IN RUSSIAN, 'MINERS REVIVE THE POWER OF DONBASS' MAN SPEAKING, THEN A PAN OF THE CROWD MEN IN FRONT OF A BANNER READING IN RUSSIAN, 'FASCISM WON'T PASS' CROWD CHEERING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARCHING MEN
- Embargoed: 12th June 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAAFTQVPUEJTRWRO117XSX5T175
- Story Text: Miners from the southeastern-Ukrainian Donbass region and their supporters rallied in Donetsk on Wednesday (May 28) to show their disdain for authorities in Kiev.
Members of the mostly-male crowd said they viewed Ukraine's new leaders, installed after months of protests that led to the ouster of Viktor Yanukovich, as illegitimate.
Carrying banners representing their mines and with slogans such as "fascism won't pass," protesters marched from a local park to Lenin Square.
One miner named Nikolai said the new authorities don't represent the interests of the region, which held a referendum on self-rule earlier in the month. The vote was called a sham by Kiev and the West.
"We held a referendum that showed that 90 percent of Donbass voted for the referendum and they said it was all falsified. It wasn't falsified. That's why we came here, to show that we are not only capable of working in a mine but we can show our spirits and strength too," Nikolai said.
Another local man named Alexander, who used to work in a mine, said "I came in a sign of protest against what the so-called authorities in Kiev are doing now. I definitely don't consider them the (legitimate) authorities, because whatever happened, (Viktor) Yanukovich is still our president," he said.
The rally followed two days of fighting in the city between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists.
On Sunday (May 25) the country elected a new president, without the input of Donetsk-area voters, where no polls were open. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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