At least 46 people were killed and an estimated 200 others were wounded today when the southwestern Ukrainian port city of Odessa erupted in protests and violence between factions.
It began, as so much violence in eastern Europe does, with a soccer rally. A rally for the local Ultras Odessa football team, a team favored by many in the Right Sector, was held today.
Other protests broke out among locals expressing sympathy for eastern demonstrators after the Ukrainian military attacked the protester-held cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. The two rallies, with two very distinct viewpoints, quickly ran afoul of one another, and clashes resulted.
The direct fighting only left a handful of people killed, but a lot of injuries. The Right Sector marchers then moved against a small protest camp set up in a park, killing several more there.
The big death toll came when the far-right demonstrators moved against the Trade Union Hall, which the pro-eastern protesters were organizing out of. They set the building on fire, trapping scores within. At least 38 were confirmed killed in this incident.
While violence has been the order of the day in eastern cities, especially those under military attack, this is the first major violence to break out in the western half of the country, suggesting the anger at the interim government is spreading.
Few years ago some European country wanted to stop increasing their military spending and some even were eager to close NATO all together, USG didn’t like the idea, nor Anders Fogh Rasmussen the head if NATO, a far right Danish politician whom is one of the European sympathizer with European Neo fascism, who didn’t like the idea then and now.
Barack Hussein Obama, Hillary Clinton and other far right democrats hade a better idea, the first 4 years of Obama foreign policies was spend in Libyan war and then Syrian war, expending the Saudi religious interests and for USG the strategical importance of countries as Libya, Syria and Egypt, Islamization of the entire Northern Africa-region in one hand and Lebanon, Israel, Iran and Russia in the other, the second term of his term in WH is been about Russia and increasing the US militarism influence all over the world which will end up with pentagon increased budget.
All that it started with Libya, with French mafia zarkozi, the far right French Mafiosi politician, the Italian mafia Berlusconi, David Cameron the head if Neo liberalism from England and the Swedish far right Neo fascism hand in hand with far right Swedish aristocrats, hand in hand with Saudis and CCG, then it was time for taking out the Syrian government where Syrian war is entering its third year being at war with foreign mercenaries or good terrorists trained by USG, Turkish and Jordanian government.
Now the pentagon chief demanding Europeans, those whom were not in line with USG and European Neo democracy, start expending their military by making more of European war machinery siting Ukraine. If this is not the sign of USG being hired by US militarism regime, if this is not the sign that pentagon chief is a lost cause of idea reforming US militarism regime from Republican Party, if this is not the sign that once again the American working people being played by yet another far right democrats, lied to by yet another republican, that American working men and women, despite their trust, voted for Barack Hussein Obama to fraud them, then I don’t know what is or need to happen for American people to wakeup for real.
During Bill Clinton presidency, another far right democrat, the American people were fooled again, when he was telling them that he is closing the US military bases, but he never told the American people what he is about to do with American solders, that’s when they were shipped to Balkan, that when he actually increased the pentagon spending with billions, Obama doing it to you again American people wake up.
A Ukrainian military observer on the ground, Dmitry Tymchuk, reported that:
“…amongst the events in Odessa there is a bright moment. Residents of Odessa showed that their good nature and peacefulness have limits.”
“Knuckle-draggers and pro-Russian extremists high on permissiveness were nevertheless repelled by citizens who love both their city and their country. And WHAT a rebuff.”
“Today is the day of big lessons for all of us, and first and foremost, for the Ukrainian authorities.”
“If we want peace, we must defend ourselves. “
“We cannot continue to love our country and put up with its rape.”
One can only hope this message will get through to Putin, his armed “little green men,” and the Ukrainian traitors supporting them.
Elections in Ukraine are scheduled for May 25. Putin and his fascist supporters will do everything possible to prevent the elections being held.
They know the only way they will gain any authority in Ukraine is through the barrel of a gun.
Being attacked by an aggressive enemy will ALWAYS unify a people.
Yulia Tymoshenko:
“The invasion will be stopped. Violence will be defeated. We will not allow Ukraine to be turned into either Hungary in 1956 or Yugoslavia in the 1990s.”
“No one will be able to stop us building a united, European and democratic government. It’s not important what language we speak, which church we go to or what political party we support: we are all Ukrainians, all patriots and we must join together in this most decisive moment in the history of our country, the lives of our families and our personal destinies.”
Being attacked by an external enemy will ALWAYS unify a people.
Yulia Tymoshenko:
“The invasion will be stopped. Violence will be defeated. We will not allow Ukraine to be turned into either Hungary in 1956 or Yugoslavia in the 1990s.”
“No one will be able to stop us building a united, European and democratic government. It’s not important what language we speak, which church we go to or what political party we support: we are all Ukrainians, all patriots and we must join together in this most decisive moment in the history of our country, the lives of our families and our personal destinies.”
"The big death toll came when the far-right demonstrators moved against the Trade Union Hall, which the pro-eastern protesters were organizing out of."
Must be Putin.
"We will not allow Ukraine to be turned into either Hungary in 1956 or Yugoslavia in the 1990s."
Well, the scenarios in both cases were VERY different. And Putin wasn't involved.
“The invasion will be stopped. Violence will be defeated. We will not allow Ukraine to be turned into either Hungary in 1956
The USSR's invasion of Hungary in 1956, you ignorant, was order by a Ukrainian: Nikita Khrushchev!
Ukrainian nationalist have a completely distorted view of the history the land now called the Ukraine!
The same ukrainian Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the USSR, who gave away Russian land, including the crimean peninsula, to Ukraine!
Yulia, winning the hearts and minds. What a gift
"They know the only way they will gain any authority in Ukraine is through the barrel of a gun."
Judging by the events of the past few weeks, I'd say they're hardly the ONLY ones who know that. The current government came to power and is staying in power in the same way. Both sides have come to the conclusion that they can not win the fight through legal means.
Oh, my God!
The US has invested 5 billion $ in the coup d'etat in Ukraine, your government admits. To get their money's worth they are collaborating with fascists (Swoboda) and nazis (Right sector), to get hold of the natural resources of Ukraine and to get the opportunity to put missiles in the country, pointed at Moskow. And you expect Putin to go and pick flowers?
You ought to read Brzezinski's book on the geopolitical chessboard game, which is the policy your government is following today, so maybe you can get at least some facts right.
So you think that the way to have peace is to herd dozens of people into a building, set it ablaze and block the exits? Okay. Good luck with that.
You haven't read the official version: the Kyiv Post says the pro-Russian terrorists set the building ablaze by accident when hurling molotov cocktails and shooting at peaceful Ukrainian demonstrators below.
You honestly think the pro-Russian, anti-U.S./EU/IMF citizens set the building where they sought refuge on fire? You'll believe anything.
From The Saker:
1) They bussed in large numbers of Right Sector thugs.
2) They then got the local football hooligans (paid by oligarchs according to some reports) to begin a nationalist demonstration.
3) The Right Sector thugs then joined the hooligans and together they viciously attacked the pro-Russian tent city: the tents were torn down and the anti-regime demonstrators viciously beat up to a pulp. The local cops stood by and watched.
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2014/05/ukraine…
So the "citizens who love both their city and their country" repelled the “Knuckle-draggers and pro-Russian extremists" by killing 46 of them?
Who exactly are the extremists and "knuckle-draggers" here??
They are Ukraine Citizens who believe that Elected Governments are in fact the ones that make decisions, NOT Coup leaders, by the way it is NO LONGER a Coup de tat it is a Coup that has spilt the blood of citizenry who do not go along with the Ultra nationalist Nazis that led the coup!
United States of America emboldened this Coup they paid Ukrainians and others to commit terrorist acts, trust me if people did this in America they would be called Terrorist acts, and the country that financed it would be considered terrorist sympathizers in the very least!
In this tragic unfolding situation in Ukraine there is one-way to stop the spiralling crisis dead in its tracks. Everybody wins, no losers and no more deaths.
The E U should immediately give the Ukraine full E U membership with unrestricted travel and work for all Ukranian citizens whether be of Ukrainian or Russian ethnicity including Sevastopol – game over – war over. The Ukraine should on NATO be neutral.
This is such a no brainer.
Nobody loses face. Peace and goodwill prevails.
Hopefully when NATO is abandoned Russia will join the EU
I wonder how the German or French or any of the EU countries' people will feel about a large influx of poor Ukrainian refugees flooding the work force – and finding nothing, the dole. The last I knew there wasn't a surplus of jobs in any of the EU countries.
Kind of like a large telecom entity riffing a large number of well paid American employees…so they can turn around and hire a larger number of green-carded subcontinent contractors.
For the sake of argument lets imagine that your heart is in the right place. there are several reasons that your suggestion is crap.
I live in the UK, we don't want Banderites in the EU, this murderous behaviour is NOT going to get them into the EU, quite the reverse. How would you react if I suggested that the US give them green cards, (or whatever) and allowed them to go and work in the US? Joy and celebration?
Being in the EU would cut them off from most of their trade with Russia, most of their industry in the East is geared up to trade with Russia, it would destroy their already damaged economy.
The EU already has more than enough basket-case economies to support as it is.
The US has already ruled out any possibility of NATO participation for Russia.
So you Brits "don't want Banderites in the EU" but you're perfectly happy to have them in Kiev? Because as long as the UK continues being Barry O's poodle, that's that the UK supports — Banderites in Kiev.
Take someone on the same side as yourself, put words in their mouth and then take a swing at them, smart!
NATO will not be abandoned it is the WET DREAM of Every American General to win a war against COMMUNIST RUSSIA, doesn't matter that it doesn't exist anymore.
So Jason,
You call people who defend their country against a foreign aggressor and their collaborators, “nationalists”?
I call them Patriots. And that’s what 45 million Ukrainians call them.
But, I’m sure you’ll stick with your Kremlin-speak.
The notion that all Ukrainians support the far right-wing Ukrainian nationalists, or the coup government in Kiev, is a statement than transcends the bounds of even the most absurd propaganda.
…and you with your Bandera-speak.
I would have advised you to see a psychiatrists, but mental illnesses cannot be cured.
Seeing how fascists burned people alive in that building, and how so called "people" applauded this live on Shuster show, I would have been ashamed to be a Ukrainian if your words were true. Luckily, at least half of Ukrainians hate fascists and do not call them patriots.
I understand the frustrations of Western Ukrainians: in WWI and WWII they fought on the loosing side of Germany, against Russia. Hence their loyalties. There are true Ukrainians, though, not Galician fascists, who love their country more than swastika-wearing Right Sector, Hitler and his lackeys.
This was the point when Ukraine as we know it died. We'll see what emerges from the wreckage.
Interesting events, peaceful neo nazis burning people alive with the agreement of the so called civilized west and no mention in the complicit MSM. Then you find as*wipes like this military traitor along with the above commentators defending this. Why the hell are thou more patriotic than the protestors?
Of course, the 800,000+ protesters in Kyiv that demanded democracy and the resignation of the criminally corrupt Yanukovych were all fascists.
Putin, and his masked men carrying automatic weapons and RPGs, have come to civilize Ukraine. To show them the better life Russians experience under Putin’s dictatorship!
The truth is, nothing could turn Ukrainians into patriots more than knowing what awaits them under Putin’s neo-Nazi rule.
Projecting much, Andrew?
But he has no problem with the automatic weapons carrying "masked" Pravyi Sektor. It's so easy to rant from Australia, safe from all those "knuckle-draggers".
He should be deported from Australia. Why do they take in these uncivilized cretins?
I’ve been a supporter of this site for over 10 years.
And, just like most people here, I’ve recognised and stood against US and western aggression against smaller, relatively defenseless countries.
However, what makes no sense to me is that while people here acknowledge the rights of SOME people to live their lives without interference, threats or aggression from others, they don’t acknowledge this right for ALL PEOPLE.
For some reason, 45 million Ukrainians should NOT be able to decide their own fate for themselves. Their future should be imposed on them, either by a corrupt, authoritarian President, whose own supporters deserted him before he fled the country, or by a foreign aggressor.
The hypocrisy of the contributors to this site is palpable.
I’ve been a supporter of this site for over 10 years.
And, just like most people here, I’ve recognised and stood against US and western aggression against smaller, relatively defenseless countries.
However, what makes no sense to me is that while people here acknowledge the rights of SOME people to live their lives without interference, threats or aggression from others, they don’t acknowledge this right for ALL PEOPLE.
For some reason, 45 million Ukrainians should NOT be able to decide their own fate for themselves. Their future should be imposed on them, either by a corrupt, authoritarian President, whose own supporters deserted him before he fled the country, or by a foreign aggressor.
The hypocrisy of some of the contributors to this site is palpable.
Jason? Justin? Ivan?
What about the rights of the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians that oppose Putin's interference in their lives?
If you're seriously interested in the Ukrainian situation, I highly recommend this very long, but fascinating recent (translated) talk by a Moscow-based professor of history:
He naturally comes from the Russian perspective, but he's VERY well-informed and has some criticism to go around for everyone.
One of the problems with Ukraine is that its government has been controlled, ever since the early 1990s, by people who were far more interested in plundering the country than in improving it, and this has been true for both the "pro-Western" and the "pro-Russian" leaders. The result is that the apparatus of the state is now barely functional, and is open to meddling from all sides.
And you know, the 45 million Ukrainians ARE deciding their own future. Only it's probably not going to be at the ballot box, but through civil war. Just about every evil that can be attributed to one "side" can also be attributed to the other, as this article makes clear: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr…
(although most Western media is one-sided, and most Russian media is likewise one-sided)
The reasons to take revenge on the other side keep piling up, for both sides. And although many people are still reluctant to shoot at each other (like they were in Yugoslavia in the early days), this is rapidly changing. The longer this conflict drags on, the worse it will get.
What I think is absolutely paramount is for the US to gain the high moral ground again. In its insistence on winning, the US supported breaking the Ukrainian constitution (Yanukovich was stripped of his powers by less than the required 75% percentage in the Ukrainian parliament, and the vote was made in the presence of intimidating armed rebels). They did not denounce the unsavoury fascist groups who came to control important posts in the new government. They did not denounce the harassment, detentions and beatings of Eastern presidential candidates (most of whom have since announced that they'll be boycotting the elections). All of those things have caused many people in East and South of Ukraine to feel that the new government is illegitimate and that it hates them, and it has caused an unfortunate number of them to believe that the only truth comes from the barrel of a gun.
You are right that Yanukovitch was removed from power by unconstitutional means. He was a thief, but an elected thief. What Ukraine has now as "government" (installed by Vicky "f… the EU" Nuland) are unelected thieves, who appointed other thieves, oligarchs, out of gratitude for sharing US burden of financing this so called "revolution" for months. Basically, people who lost the election were brought to power by violent means.
US cannot gain high moral ground here, it no longer has a face to lose. US created this mess, turning Ukraine into Somalia or Libya, and openly supporting fascists in the process. It is quite obvious that US does not give a damn about Ukraine: the game was to reduce oil/gas revenues for Russia, while seriously hurting US competitors in the EU. Both objectives might still be achieved, and if the death of Ukraine is the price to pay, State Department does not care: after all, US sacrificed hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia, Libya, etc, in the last two decades, to increase profits of well-connected corporations (does Halliburton ring a bell?) and gain access to resources, while elbowing out competition.
It is YOU that is the hypocrite. You claim that you want Ukrainians to be able to determine their own future and their own fate without external interference. Yet, you bloody hypocrite, you will deny the people of Crimea their right to do precisely what you claim you want for Ukraine. You deny the right of the people in Eastern Ukraine to determine their own fate and you send in terrorist goons to kill them and suppress them
Instead, you support the maniacal junta that destroyed the democratically elected government and replaced it with thugs while murdering dozens of Ukrainians. You also support these criminals and Neo Nazis that are directed by the other thug nation, the USA. That you support and advocate for Svaboda and the Right Sector.. all criminal elements and paid and bought for by the USA and the EU… speaks for itself and automatically nullifies you as a rational and impartial advocate for peace……….HYPOCRITE!
Crimea and the Eastern part of Ukraine where part of Russia till they were gifted to Ukraine in the 20th century when Ukraine was a part of the same country.. the USSR.
Putin has done NOTHING so far you LIAR and disgusting mouth piece for the real criminals.. the US NATO and the EU. They are doing everything in their power to start a war…….. A bankers war.
I just hope Putin does something soon.
In east Ukraine, I have not seen an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians taking to the streets and shouting "down with Putin."
@ Peace_Not_War
Your chosen moniker is distinctly Orwellian, you are revelling in murder and hate.
@Andrew Havryliv
Your hypocrisy and dishonesty are stunning. Lets just conveniently forget that Yanukovich had already agreed to the May elections BEFORE the US/NATO backed putsch.
Only a liar or an incredibly ignorant person would not acknowledge that Ukraine was already a deeply divided country. To pretend that the Maidan protesters were representative of the whole country is simply pathetic, to pretend that the protests against the Kiev junta are simply the result of Russian interference is asinine. The people of the South and East of Ukraine have seen their democratically elected MP's sacked, their parties banned, their very language threatened, they have very legitimate grievances.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp…
Notice how the ethno-linguistic divide and the political divide are practically identical? Some degree of federalisation is obviously required in a country with such a pronounced divide, so why can't the South and East have their referendums in peace? Why the troops attacking protesters, why the attack helicopters?
As to foreign interference, it is the US which has spent $5,000,000,000 on interference in Ukraines internal affairs, it is the US/EU which encouraged, and probably helped to orchestrate, the coup against the democratically elected government.
AndrewHavryliv and " Peace_Not_War" (peace for arians, kill everybody else)
Two obviously pravy sector connected Nazi freaks shouldn´t be allowed marching here glorifying Nazi´s, arsonists and criminal murderers, especially not after their latst crime, burning people alive and laughing and kicking to death those who survived this crime against humanity by the US imposed Nazi junta in Kiev, who gladly let it happen.
Disgusting AW and shame on them!
I hope you are not suggesting some heavy-handed censorship?
When my father was 14, he was deported from Kiev by nazis.Before that,he did not knew his father who was deproted by communists.In concentration camp,he was beaten by ukrainian patriots (like bandera guys) whith more violence than facists did.He always told me that he has tasted this kind of patriotism.He fought against communists but was not anti russian.Today I see anti russian rethoric in many ukrainian people.I do not remember thar Stalin and Lenin were pure russians and that the composition of the soviet governement were purely russian.Bastars are everywhere in each nation.Stop to accuse russian everywhere like Kiev and Kerry do.When proMaydan people,nice girls of 18 years old ,with smile and sign of victory prepare cocktails molotov in order to burn alive separatists in a bulding of Odessa and after that the Ukrainian rada claim with applaus "we won",I think that there something going wrong in the soul of these lovers of democraty.
Note the difference. In Odessa, there are no mercenaries to intimidate one group or the other or to fabricate a false "pro-Russian" majority. It will be interesting to see if either merceneries suddenly pop up in Odessa or the Ukrainian majority in Donetsk and Lugansk assert themselves. Once again, Putin's credibility is damaged.
More commentary from the twilight zone.
"Putin's credibility is damaged."
In whose eyes exactly? Putin is the only one who is managing.
No Michael Kenny there was a Pro Russian Minority that was peacefully protesting as they should be allowed in a society that is going to an election (remember that there is supposed to be a free election shortly) instead the Ultra Right Wing Nationalists attacked them they retreated into a Trade Union building and the Ultra nationalists fire Bombed the building! Hundreds Killed in THE FIRE!
Just remember this the Ultra Right Wingers came from NEO NAZI stock, and it looks like they haven't moved far from their terrorist roots! don't like the Policies of the Coup leaders suddenly you are a knuckle dragger, that would have SUB HUMAN connotations, we have also seen in Western Ukraine Attacks on Jewish Monuments and people a pattern is there a pattern that I don't like to much!
Burning of people alive is a necessary middle step in developing European values i take it. Germany´s silence to this unspeakable crime at the hands of their old pal´s is deafening.
The UK Guardian
May 3, 2014
Nobody will ever know who was responsible
for Trade Union building fire.”
Yes of course, the pro-Russia protesters were the only ones in the building, they were the only ones defending the building, so they decided to kill over 40 of themselves by setting fire to themselves.
After burning of people alive, the Kiev suporters are still supported by Obama and his administration.They want more sanctions against Russia. Who gonna stop them ?
John Ellis, there are plenty of videos on the Web showing the Right Sector thugs firebombing the building.
Their pretty girlfriends were photographed filling the coke bottles with petrol. They brought bags and bags of empty bottles, added a length of cloth, and voila! Easier than cooking borscht. The horrible thing was their attacking the wounded trying to escape with sticks and heavy boots…
To hell with the Right Sector!
Our Western papers say the protesters in the building set the building on fire by accident. Yet, these same rags show people outside the building throwing Fire bombs at the building. Sadly, the simple minded idiots believe our dishonest Western sources.
The truth is the fascist Right Sector thugs murdered the protesters. Our government supports these nazi thugs. Nothing really new here. Look at South America to see our previous support for fascists. Heck, we supported Sadaam before he turned on us.
In hindsight, Ukraine would have been a much more peaceful place if Russia kicked the Maidan protesters buts hard. But hey, just like Zionist bastards, you CANNOT appease them, you know now for sure they understand and use only one language. I sincerely hope Russia speak to them in the same language and watch America and the EU run with their tails between their legs.
Foreign guided and paid criminals who storm and crash down parliament and government has no right to use army against the own people.
Even a democratic elected government has not this right.
"RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT" WHEN?
The Ukrainian government only supporter is the Ukrainian fascism and present and passed politicians whom have no other alternative but to cooperate or support these mercenaries. If they were not supported they are going to be on their killing lists, if they don’t cooperate, these thugs will turn their guns on them, the army is out of picture for now because the fascist regime in Kiev can use their own elites of murderous for now, those which are shown on military personal carriers are the Ukrainians and foreign mercenaries, paid by the illegal money given to fascism in Ukraine by either EU or USG. The western Neo liberal fascism hand in hand with far right liberal or otherwise stupid government Neo policies is to use everything they got to destabilize countries where they have a geopolitical and militaristic-strategical interests, USG in particular have no respect for democracy, nor the Swedish government or the far right aristocrats in Sweden and etc. This is their last option from the book written by Victoria Nuland called “f…u…c…k EU”. Wake up American people, you been played and once again fooled by the masters of deceptions from the Democratic Party, which known to be “what democracy” included.