Residents of Odessa honored the memory of those killed on May 2, 2014 in the House of Trade Unions as a result of the actions of Ukrainian nationalists.
In memory of the victims of those events, residents of Odessa lay flowers at the building where 48 people were killed. Citizens come to the scene of the tragedy with their families and children. Among those who came were the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada from the Opposition Platform – For Life party, reports Strana.ua.
Law enforcement agencies allow residents of the city to enter the House of Trade Unions through “filtration points”, where citizens are checked for the presence of dangerous or prohibited objects. In addition, the police took under protection Kulikovo Field and Cathedral Square, around which traffic is limited.
“The whole range of preventive actions carried out by law enforcement officers is designed to prevent violations of public order and threats to the safety of people during events to commemorate the victims of May 2, 2014, which will soon begin in the central part of the city,” the police said in a statement.
On the same day, a march of radical nationalists began in Odessa, who support the killing of people in the House of Trade Unions, REN TV reports.
On May 2, 2014, clashes between anti-Maidan supporters and radicals took place in Odessa. The activists were locked up in the House of Trade Unions, and members of the extremist group “Right Sector” (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) set fire to the building. At those who tried to get out of it, the nationalists fired. The police did not come to the aid of the activists. 48 people died, more than 250 were injured.
Last year, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the anniversary of the tragedy in Odessa. The department accused Russia of the actions of the radicals, and also expressed confidence that the building was on fire not because of the “Molotov cocktails” that radicals threw at it, but because of “internal fires”. Russia called on the international community and human rights structures to get Kiev to fully investigate the case.