In Zaporizhia Bishops Prevent Violence at Rally

On Palm Sunday, a prayer for peace in 10 languages was held in the sanctuary of God the Merciful Father in Zaporizhia.

In the center of the city separatists tried to hold a pro-Russian rally in support of federalization. However, the self-defense unit of Zaporizhia and Ukrainian activists stopped the rally and surrounded the separatists. A police cordon separated the political opponents for over seven hours. Maidan activists threw small coins, eggs, and flour across the police cordon at the separatists.

In the evening, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, and Orthodox priests led by Bishop Jan Sobilo came to the middle of the police cordon and held talks with the self-defense and Right Sector, in order to ensure that the pro-Russian activists would be taken into the police station unharmed.

The representatives of the church believe that the city government is responsible for the situation since they gave permission to the separatists to hold the pro-Russian meeting and did not take into account the attitudes of the residents who don’t support the separatist sentiments and remember the brutal beatings of maidan activists in Zaporizhia on January 26, organized by the so-called titushky.

“The residents of Zaporizhia have shown that they do not wish to secede from Ukraine and are ready to defend their city, even in such a radical way. And especially when we look at developments in the Donetsk region, no one wants that to happen here,” said Sobilo.

Sunday evening ended with two hundred separatists being taken by the clergy and the police to the police department for combating organized crime. Several thousand residents accompanied them, singing the anthem of Ukraine and chanting the slogans “Glory to Ukraine” and “Ukraine is united.”