Pro-Russian protesters seize government building in Ukraine

Protesters in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk have seized the building of the regional state administration, chanting slogans and waving flags of pro-Russian public organisations in their hands.

About 2,000 people gathered in Donetsk’s central Lenin Square Sunday to voice their support for the officers of the Berkut riot police who had been detained by the Ukrainian security services on suspicion of manslaughter during the confrontation in Kiev.

The authorities, according to the protesters, were trying to “play a card of repression against dissidents”.

As the police were preparing to use a water cannon to disperse the protesters, Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov called an emergency security meeting to take stock of the situation.
(ITAR-TASS/IANS)