Pro-Russian people celebrate in Lenin Square, in Simferopol, Ukraine, Sunday, March 16, 2014.
Posted on 03/17/2014 12:25:42 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
"Donetsk is a Russian city." The chant rang out in the eastern Ukrainian city on Saturday, as thousands of pro-Russia demonstrators rallied beneath a towering statue of Soviet revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in the city's main square.
They waved Russian flags and red flags emblazoned with the iconic image of Argentinian Marxist Che Guevara.
There was not a single Ukrainian flag to be seen.
"They are frightened," said local journalist Denis Kazansky of pro-Ukraine protestors. "They will not come out and demonstrate." Ukraine protests turn deadly
That's because just three days earlier, Lenin Square was the scene of violent clashes that left a 22-year-old, pro-Ukrainian activist dead.
A floral tribute is the only evidence that remains of the bloodshed that unfolded Thursday night when a police cordon that stood between rival groups was breached.
The tribute appeared a lonely site on Saturday as thousands of pro-Russia protesters stood with their backs to it. Their focus turned to a platform beneath the Lenin statue, where men and women took turns making their case for a referendum on the right to self-determination.
Among the demonstrators was Vladimir Kosolapov, a local leader for the Communist Party in Ukraine. He told us that people in this eastern pocket of Ukraine supported the idea of federalism.
"We need more independence from Kiev for our region. Most people here don't think that power in Kiev is legitimate."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Ping.
I thought that province was only 40% Russian?
Dont esk!
Putin is on a ‘Kaiser’ Roll.
Putty’s on a roll and he’s got plenty of supporters on Free Republic. Prolly because he hates fags.
According to the last 2001 census yes, but the languages spoken is Russian — 75%, and Ukrainian — 24%
In a 3-way 2016 FR straw poll with Hillary, NJFatboy, and Putin, I think Putie wins.
Too bad they didn’t name it Vozhdville.
Language isn’t the issue, I am sure Russian was mandated in schools during the soviet era
The city is 48% Russian but the region is 38% Russian. Only the loudest voices are being heard just now. And after Donetsk the % Russian goes down further. Putin will still claim the abuse and persecution of Russians for his justification.
Pro-Russian demonstrators take part in a rally in front of the regional government building in Donetsk on March 5.
The sign reads: "We are with Russia, our brothers"
I hear about those rallies in Mexican-dominated California too
Remember too that being a Russian speaker does not equate to supporting being part of Russia. My in-laws live in the eastern section of Ukraine in the Lugansk region, speak Russian, and consider themselves Ukrainian.
If they are so infatuated with Russia, there is nothing whatsoever stopping them from going to live there. It’s hardly as though Russia is some far-off distant land; it’s right next door.
It’s like the Russian fifth-columnists in the Baltic States; I hope Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are keeping an exceedingly sharp eye on them in case they try something similar at the Kremlin’s behest.
My wife was born and raised in that part of Ukraine. They speak Russian, have always spoke Russian and are taught in Russian, even the young people. My nieces and nephews still live there. They're teenagers and speak nothing but Russian. They view the Ukrainian language with contempt --to them, Ukrainian is the language that peasant "country bumpkins" speak.
Why would they do that? Donetsk is their city.
They may have been born in Donetsk, but their loyalties clearly lie somewhere else. Like the Sudeten Germans, who despite being Czechoslovak citizens, suddenly had an attack of revanchism in the 1930s and decided they wanted to annex themselves to Germany.
The West failed to stop that debacle, or see it for what it was. Fortunately, the Czechoslovaks corrected that mistake in 1945 with the Beneš Decrees.
As to the Baltic states (being NATO member-states as well), they need to keep a close watch on their Russian citizens, so that those Russians aren’t agent provocateurs for Putin. I suspect (and I hope that I’m wrong) that he might try something there as well - cooking up trouble in a land he covets and then providing a “solution”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.