Cherkasy Branch of Svoboda Announces Campaign Uman Without Chasidim

The local branch of the nationalist organization Svoboda of the eastern Ukrainian region of Cherkasy made a statement as to the authorities' lack of action to prevent aggression of Chasidim in Uman and announced the beginning of a campaign Uman without Chasidim.

According to a report of Interfax with reference to the press service of the Cherkasy branch of Svoboda, “the campaign is aimed towards the fulfillment of the demands of the public to ensure the civilized stay of Chasidim in Uman during their visits.”

“The Cherkasy Regional Organization of Svoboda expresses its indignation at the lack of action of the authorities of all levels, which took no steps at all to stop the aggression of Chasidim against Ukrainians and prevent mass disorder brought by the Chasidim to Uman each year during their religious festival,” says the report of the press service.

Representatives of the regional branch of Svoboda reminded that in September of last year, during the “march against the Chasidim’s excesses, Svoboda put forward a number of demands to the authorities, namely, to protect the constitutional rights of the residents of Uman, to make the Chasidim respect Ukrainians and to prohibit violation of the law.

“The authorities ignore the warnings of Svoboda about the danger of the lack of control of the actions of Chasidim and lack of punishment for the crimes committed by them… Therefore, the Cherkasy regional organization of Svoboda announces the beginning of a campaign Uman without Chasidim, which will spreading information and hold public events and direct actions aimed to settle the Chasidim issue in Uman,” reads the report.

As RISU reported earlier, the Cherkasy opposition on September 19 expressed its intention to address the president with a proposal to pass to the Chasidim the relics of Cadik Nakhman in order for them to transport it from Uman.

According to the information previously spread by mass media, 50 thousand Chasidim are expected to come to the region as pilgrims this year.

In 2010, approximately 400 pilgrims who returned from Ukraine to Israel after celebrating the Jewish New Year in Uman were detained at the airports by the police. Ten Chasidim were deported from Ukraine after a conflict with the local residents.