Chornobyl cleanup workers rallying in Donetsk

ChSome 800 people rallied in front of the regional office of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in Donetsk on Tuesday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported.

Loudspeakers have been set up in front of the building. The protesters include representatives of the all-Ukrainian movement "Go Forward!" and other non-governmental organizations, as well as participants of the cleanup operations after the disaster at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The funeral of Hennadiy Konopliov who died of a heart attack on November 27 after the protesters' tent was taken down by law-enforcers, will be held at 1300 in Rodynske, Donetsk region.

The www.ostro.org Web site reported that the protesters spent the night in a small tent, which replaced the large one pulled down by the Emergency Situations Ministry's officers. The protesters set up a generator for lighting and heating the tent. The other dozen or so tents are not heated.

People from other cities, in particular from Zaporizhia, are arriving in Donetsk to support the rally.

Donetsk residents are bringing warm clothes and firewood to the protesters.

As reported, Chornobyl cleanup workers went on a hunger strike in Donetsk on November 15 demanding the full payment of their pensions in accordance with the court order. They set up a tent in front of the Pension Fund's regional office. Donetsk Regional Court ruled on November 23 to put an end to the protest action and on November 27 the Emergencies Ministry's officers took down the tent, and took away two camping stoves and a generator. The protesters refused to stop their hunger strike, and vowed to defend their tents by all means, including by acts of self-immolation.