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Police blocks protesters inside seized building of regional administration in Donetsk

DONETSK, April 06. /ITAR-TASS/. The police have blocked protesters, who seized the building of the regional state administration in Ukraine’s city of Donetsk on Sunday, inside the building, the 1+1 television channel reported.

The activists blocked inside the building took a decision to form a “people’s regional council.” “We must withstand at least 24 hours. An assembly or a congress is due to be held at 12:00 local time (13:00 Moscow time) on April 7. At least one representative from each town in the region will take part. We must involve other regions - Lugansk, Kherson,” activists said, adding that armed police squads were moving towards the building of the regional administration.

According to media reports, about 200 people took over the building. About 600-700 people more are outside, in front of the building. The protesters plan to set a tent camp.

In the meantime, law enforcement agencies initiated proceedings over the seizure of the administrative building housing the Donetsk Regional Council and the Donetsk regional state administration, the press service of the Donetsk region prosecutor’s office said.

Earlier on Sunday, about 2,000 people gathered in Donetsk’s central Lenin Square in voice their support to the officers of the Berkut riot police who had been detained by the Ukrainian security services on suspicion of manslaughter during the confrontation in Kiev. The current authorities, according to the protesters, were trying to “play a card of repression against dissidents.”

Participants in the rally chanted slogans holding Russian flags, St. George Ribbons and flags of pro-Russian public organizations in their hands.