You're reading: Supporters, opponents of referendum on federalization of Ukraine rally in front of Kharkiv City Council

Supporters of the referendum on the federalization of Ukraine and supporters of a unitary Ukraine are conducting a picket in front of the Kharkiv City Council on Wednesday.

The two groups of rally participants are divided by a police cordon, an Interfax correspondent has reported.

“Kharkiv has always been a Russian city… We scheduled a referendum
for May 11 and we will hold it together with Luhansk and Donetsk. We
will show this administration that the southeast is united,” Yuriy
Apukhtin, a coordinator of the Southeast movement, said.

Apukhtin said the referendum, which is expected to address the issue
of the federalization of Ukraine, the creation of an autonomous region
in the southeastern part of Ukraine, and the status of the Russian
language, will be conducted in the form of a poll “in the streets and
squares of the city.”

At the same time, Serhiy Kyrychuk, coordinator of the Borotba
movement, believes the referendum should also address the issue of
language equality and non-bloc status of Ukraine.

“We believe that such a referendum should be conducted across all of
Ukraine, not just in Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region… The organization of
a referendum is a very complex and sensitive issue, but we have a
chance to be heard and combine this referendum with the presidential
elections,” Kyrychuk said.

Participants in a different picket, which is being held under the
national flags of Ukraine, are saying they are supporting the
authorities, the mayor of Kharkiv, and the unity of Ukraine.

“We love our city, we love our country. These are the main reasons
why we are here […] We support our mayor and the deputies who were
elected. We are for a united Ukraine… We would like our city to be
peaceful and calm and we would like to work like we did before,” the
protesters said.

According to the police, the two rallies have up to 200 participants.

Security has been tightened near the city council building. The
Radianska and History Museum metro stations are closed.
Kvitka-Osnovianenko Street is closed to traffic behind the mayor’s
office. The entrance to the new building is blocked by two water
carriers. The entrance to the internal yard is blocked by a truck filled
with sand. There are more police officers in the building of the city
council than usual.