15,000 rally supporting Ukraine's Russian-speaking minority in Chelyabinsk
10 March 2014, 13:31 -- The Russian city of Chelyabinsk in the southern Urals, which made headlines last year when a meteor blazed above it to burst into pieces and plunge into a nearby lake, has staged a peaceful demonstration in support of Ukraine's Russian-speaking minority and the Crimean republic.
The rally in the heart of the city drew an estimated 15,000 of people from all walks of life and social organizations. The event was quite peaceful and without scuffles, police said.
This was the latest in a series of demonstrations aimed to support Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine after the coup on February 22, when the power was seized by the country's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada dismissed President Yanukovych, changed the Constitution and shifted presidential authority to its Speaker, Alexander Turchynov, the long-time ally of ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko.
The presidential election is slated on May 25. On February 27, the Rada unveiled the line-up of the so-called 'Ukrainian government of people's trust.'
Yanukovych later confessed he had been forced to flee Ukraine for fear of being killed and was still the country's president. Moscow believes there's hardly any legitimacy to the new Ukrainian parliament, which has been denounced by several regions in the country's south and east as 'illegitimate.' The Russian-dominated republic of Crimea has refused to recognize Kiev's authority.
On March 16, residents of Crimea will go to polls to decide the future of the region at a referendum.
Thousands rally for Russia in Simferopol
Thousands of supporters of Russia gathered at Simferopol's Lenin square in Ukraine's Crimea on Sunday in support of uniting the region with Russia.
Crimean and Russian flags over the crowd as a Russian Black Sea Fleet band played patriotic songs.
The rally comes exactly a week before a March 16 referendum on unification.
Some 30, 000 people to gather in support of Ukraine across Russia at weekend
Actions in support of Ukraine and Russian compatriots living in the country will be held in big cities throughout Russia this weekend. According to forecasts of organisers, these actions will gather around 30,000 people.
Residents of the cities of Astrakhan and Pskov will assemble on Lenin Squares for rallies on Sunday, March 9. A march in support of Ukraine will be held in the city of Maikop, the capital of the Russian Republic of Adygeya.
Residents of Arkhangelsk, Chelyabinsk, Vologda, Perm and Chita will hold their actions on Monday, March 10. Around 18,000 people are expected to participate in actions in these cities.
Massive actions - 'people's gatherings' - in support of Ukraine and Russian compatriots living in the country started in Russia last Sunday. Then marches and rallies initiated by patriotic youth and veteran organisations brought together tens of thousands people in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar.
Voice of Russia, RIA
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