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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Opponents to Kiev’s security operation in eastern Ukraine protest in Zurich

About thirty demonstrators held a rally, protest actions against the Kiev authorities policy in Donbas have become regular in Switzerland

GENEVA, May 24 /TASS/. About thirty demonstrators held a rally in Zurich, one of the biggest Swiss cities, on Saturday to protest against the Kiev-led security operation in eastern Ukraine. They included pacifists from Zurich, Luzern and other Swiss cities as well as German anti-fascists.

"Though the truce in Ukraine continues, peace has not come and regrettably is nowhere in sight. The Ukrainian side continues shelling the populated localities in Donbas; Western countries continue supporting the incumbent Ukrainian government with weapons and credits and are sending military instructors to Ukraine. The aim of this manifestation is to tell the truth about the real situation in Ukraine and give a rebuff to a barrage of misinformation spread by the local media," Maxim, one of the rally’s organizers, told TASS.

Protest actions against the Kiev authorities policy in Donbas have become regular in Switzerland. The last manifestation took place in Basel on May 16. The previous two were held in Zurich on April 18 and May 2.

"People who participate in these rallies are against the war in Donbas. They favour peaceful settlement in Donbas and the implementation of the Minsk agreements," Maxim said. "We are against lies in the mass media of European countries. We demand the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia. They are having a boomerang effect on Europe. But the United States does want to chill out. We are against bombardments of cities,"

The current manifestation, like all the previous ones, was authorized by the Swiss authorities.

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