People rally in Kharkiv in support of city mayor
Several thousands of people came to Kharkiv's Freedom Square to rally in support of the city's Mayor Gennady Kernes.
The protesters have formed organized groups and there are employees of the city's housing and utilities organizations in uniform around the podium, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported.
The protesters are holding banners saying "Hands off our mayor!" and are collecting signatures in Kernes's support.
Among the people who are speaking at the rally are deputies of local councils from the Party of Regions, officials from the city executive committee, housing and utilities enterprises, and public organizations. Some of them read poems.
The speakers are calling against the destabilization of the situation in the city, are calling the prosecution of Kernes politically motivated, and are calling on people to "unite to save the city mayor."
Kernes was summoned to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office for questioning as a suspect on Thursday.