Several hundred people in Odessa honor those killed in May 2 tragedy
“Death to fascism! No forgiveness for the butchers! Referendum!” chanted the crowd bearing several Victory Flags as well as Russian and Odessa flags. People started leaving the rally when rumors spread about radicals heading there to attack the federalization proponents once again. “People in Odessa are afraid. The local authorities have militants deployed from Kyiv at their beck and call. They shake down businesses for money, beat down those who criticize the authorities at night,” locals told the journalists.
On May 2 the city suffered an outbreak of violence which began with the march staged by extremists sent by Kyiv authorities and football fans from Kharkov. They burned down the tent camp established to gather the signatures required to hold the referendum on Ukraine’s federalization and on the status of the Russian language. The federalization proponents who were in the camp at that time sought shelter in the trade union building which the extremists also set on fire. As a result of the riots, 48 people were killed and 247 were wounded.
Last week the Odessa regional council outlawed the presence of illegal armed groups on its territory, according to Itar-Tass.
The Odessa city authorities claimed they’ve removed the militants from checkpoints surrounding the city. “There should be no radicals on the city streets, that’s what I think about the Right Sector. I believe that this group is being funded by some people with an agenda. There is no ideology there, everywhere these guys show up the provocations begin,” regional governor Igor Palitsa said.
Petr Lutsyuk, Odessa police chief who was fired after the tragedy, demanded that the Right Sector militants sent from Kyiv leave the city just before the riots started. “There were a large number of people in Kyiv who were left without oversight and it was decided to send them to Odessa. We don’t need that here. They came to our city and they destabilize the situation here,” he said while speaking to the regional council representatives on April 4.
Lutsyuk pointed out numerous conflicts between the radicals and locals, and reported about a large cache of weapons and munitions belonging to the latter that was discovered by police. However, former regional governor appointed by Kyiv, Vladimir Nemirovsky, claimed that the presence of armed radicals in the city was necessary in order to “keep the local police under control.” Following that statement, the self-appointed secretary of the Ukraine’s Security Council, Andrei Parubiy, visited the radicals and provided them with body armor and other gear.