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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Activists in Ukraine’s Lvov stage rally demanding autonomy to Lvov region

The rally was held in front of the building of the Lvov region state administration

KIEV, July 17. /TASS/. About 300 activists of public organizations gathered for a rally in Lvov to demand autonomy to the Lvov region, Ukraine’s on-line outlet bagnet.net said on Friday.

The rally was held in front of the building of the Lvov region state administration. Activists had posters reading "Poroshenko had betrayed his people," "Special status to Galitia, real autonomy to Lvov region," Galitia is Europe," "Stop nurturing thieves in Kiev," "Taxes to Lvov region."

The rally’s organizer, Danilo Povidalchik, said that now that Ukraine had embarked on a constitutional reform, Galitia’s residents did not want to be second-class citizens in their own country. "Corruption is ruling in central authorities. Money labourers and pensioners of our region have the right to settles in the pockets of thievish Kiev officials. So, we demand real autonomy to the Lvov region within the process of the constitutional reform announced by President Pyotr Poroshenko," he said.

Activists also demanded the right to own customs policy, autonomous tariff policy and special economic regime with the European Union be granted to their region.

The rally’s resolution was handed over to head of the Lvov region state administration Oleg Sinyutka.

On Thursday, the Lvov arm of the radical organization Right Sector, which is outlawed in Russia, issues a statement urging Ukraine’s Security Service and interior minister to take efforts not to let manifestations of separatism in Ukraine and in the Lvov region in particular.

Right Sector activists tried to hamper today’s rally but they were too few to do that, since most of Right Sector activists are currently in the city of Mukachevo.

Earlier, Lvov residents already staged numerous rallies demanding autonomy to their region.

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