| CNN | - |
Donetsk,
Ukraine (CNN) -- "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.
Could Donetsk go in the same way as Crimea?
updated 4:10 AM EDT, Sun March 16, 2014
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE: "Voting has
started in Crimea (March 16). Steady stream of voters at this polling
station in the center of Simferopol." - CNN's Dominique Van Heerden.
Follow Dominique on Instagram at instagram.com/dominique_vh.
HIDE CAPTION
Crisis in Crimea and Ukraine, captured by CNN teams
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Protesters mainly pro-Russian in Donetsk, city in eastern Ukraine
- At Lenin Square, one pro-Ukrainian protester was killed Thursday
- Tension remain between pro-Russian and pro-Ukraine demonstrators
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.
Protestors face off in city of Donetsk
The long trek from Sevastopol to Donetsk
Crimea referendum explainer
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."
In the region, 48% are
ethnic Russians and 46% are ethnic Ukrainian. Most speak Russian as
their first language and feel closer historic ties to Moscow than Kiev.
"I am a citizen of
Ukraine," said Kosolapov. "I have the opportunity to leave Ukraine and
go to Russia to my friends and relations but I don't want to go. I will
not leave here because this is my home. My family is here. This is my
parents' native land."
While those who support
the new government in Kiev have only been holding sporadic rallies in
Donetsk, pro-Russian demonstrators have a more permanent presence in
Lenin Square. They have set up red tents from where they call for
volunteers to join self-defense units and invite people to sign a
petition and answer three questions.
People queue to have their say beneath the Russian flags.
Do you support a Customs Union? Yes. This is a trade agreement between Russia and some of the former Soviet republics.
Do you want Russian to be an official language? Yes.
Crimea polls to open
Legality of Crimea Referendum
Should Ukraine be a member of NATO? No.
The local council had
tried to ban any further demonstrations this weekend following the
bloodshed on Thursday, but the Donetsk District Court rejected the
request, saying there was no evidence of any danger to the public.
Indeed, the rally in
Lenin Square was peaceful on Saturday, though the demonstrators did
bring traffic to a standstill when they decided to march through the
streets and take their protest to the offices of the SBU, the Ukraine
Security Services, which is loyal to Kiev.
As riot police stood
guard at the building entrance, the demonstrators called for the release
of Pavel Gubarev, one of the leaders of the pro-Moscow protest movement
who was arrested by the SBU on March 6, for leading a blockade at the
regional administration building.
There were reports of some property damage, but the demonstration did not escalate further.
But it won't be an end
to the pro-Russian fervor in Donetsk. Police were poised for more of the
same with another major rally planned on Sunday in a show of support
for the referendum in Crimea.
Many in Donetsk want the same.
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