You're reading: Protestors in Horlivka elect ‘people’s mayor’

 A "people's mayor," representative of the local self-defense forces Alexander Sapunov, has been elected in the town of Horlivka in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The formation of self-defense forces under Sapunov's leadership during the unrest in Kyiv was actively supported by the "deposed" mayor Yevhen Klep, says a posting on the city website, Horlivka Mosaic.

 Activists have announced that the city legislature will gather for an unscheduled meeting to be chaired by Sapunov.

Mayor Klep faced the crowd of protestors, activists handed him a
Russian flag which he held for some time to the crowd’s cheers, but as
the mayor was dragging on pronouncing the oath of allegiance, activists
pushed him away and led him to a car parking area through the crowd
along Victory Avenue.

Local media also reported that the flag of the self-proclaimed
Donetsk people’s republic was raised above the seized building of the
local police and legislature.