Several thousand students, teachers and staff staged a rally in favor of Ukrainian unity outside the Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University.
The students were holding Ukrainian flags and yellow-blue balloons.
Chief among their slogans read: “Luhansk is Ukraine,” “Luhansk is a
territory without weapons and war,” “Ukraine is united,” “We are for
peace,” and “We love Ukraine.”
“We must demonstrate our unity. We prefer order within a single state,” University rector Vitaliy Kurylo said.
“Only elections will help stabilize the situation in our country and
bring back peace to our common house,” third-year student Tetiana said.
The university is located within close proximity to the Ukrainian
Security Service building seized by pro-Russian activists. Due to this,
security has been stepped up by law enforcers. The rally passed without
provocations and clashes.