Crimean Tatars commemorate 71st anniversary of deportation from Crimea …

Crimean Tatars community in Kyiv commemorates deportation as Russia tightens its grip on Crimea

Hundreds of people have come to the central square in Kyiv to commemorate the 71-st anniversary of Crimean Tatars deportation from Crimea. People are holding Ukrainian flags, Crimean flags, and this woman has both.

Nina Zaytseva, IDP from Crimea: “We see that you have two flags here – Ukrainian and Crimean.”

 – Is this symbolic?

“Of course, I sewed them together myself at night. I’m confident that Crimea will return to Ukraine. It has to return to Ukraine, it will be again for Crimean Tatars, for sure. The have suffered a lot to have it. “

Many people, who have come here, are not Crimean Tatars, but they want to show their solidarity.

 

This is yet another opportunity for them to get their message across condemning the events of 1944 and warning that nothing like this should ever happen again.

Olga, Kyiv resident: “We support them and we are in solidarity with them. It’s also part of our nation. It happened historically that we became one nation and that’s why we shouldn’t be on the side, but be together.”

More and more people have come to the central Kyiv to commemorate the deportation of Crimean Tatars 71 years ago. Here on the stage politicians, public activists, and Crimean Tatar diaspora are making speeches.

 

Refat Chubarov, Leader of the Crimean Tatar national movement: “Barbarians have remained barbarians even in the 21st century. Russian barbarianism of the 18th century has made it to the 21st century. They have waited until our country was at its weakest moment during the past 23 years. And these so called brothers have immediately seized out lands. They have seized Crimea.“

Arsen Zhumadilov, Office of the Commissioner of the President of Ukraine on Crimean Tatars: “Unfortunately the situation with Russia and its regime is deteriorating; they are increasingly ignorant of international law, of their commitments, of their obligations. So we unfortunately see that the prospects are bleak. The very essence of what they are doing now is all the same as it was 71 year ago. What they are doing now is they are trying to push the Crimean Tatars out of Crimea.”

And this is exactly what many people on this stage were saying today. They were drawing the parallels between the events, which happened in Crimea 71 years ago and which are happening now.

But the main message of the speeches was that Crimean Tatars are Ukrainians and Crimea must be returned to Ukraine.

 

 

 

 

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