Some 500 residents of Sloviansk, which was liberated from Russian terrorists on July 5, held their third Sunday assembly, reports TV Channel 5, August 3.
City residents at the pro-Ukraine demonstration discussed how to restore their city, destroyed by the militants. To coordinate their actions, the residents created a civic organization that will be responsible for restoring the infrastructure. Initially they plan to concentrate on restoring children’s kindergartens and schools, which have been closed in Sloviansk since April, hoping to repair all educational institutions by September 1.
In addition, city residents expressed their outrage at Russians who ask Putin to send Russian troops to the city but said they are confident they will be able to manage with the help of Ukrainian soldiers.
“Thank God we do not need to be saved from the Ukrainian army,” said a resident. “Now we can walk down the street safely. Even when it gets dark, we can walk in the city. We’re not afraid that someone will grab us and throw us in a cellar or, God forbid, force us to dig trenches or crawl to retrieve automatic rifles from the dead after a shelling ,” she concluded.
Additionally, the demonstrators demanded the lustration of local government from separatist collaborators, starting with the removal of Acting Mayor Oleksandr Samsonov from the city council.
“We’re holding the third assembly already. And each time the same question comes up — the immediate dismissal of the city council secretary Samsonov. This is question number one. Because of his silent acquiescence, his support for the terrorists, hundreds of deaths happened here, hundreds of homes were destroyed — and this man has the conscience to cling to power,” said another resident.
The demonstrators demanded that the hated official write a letter of resignation and gave him three days to think it over. If he refuses, they will complain to the president, they said. The demonstrators also accused Party of Regions members and associates of the former mayor Nelya Shtepa of collaborating with Russian terrorists and causing the deaths of hundreds of civilians in Sloviansk.
The assembly was preceded by a “march for unity” through the streets of Sloviansk, organized by the youth of the city to demonstrate their support for a unified Ukraine. Participants sang the national anthem and shouted patriotic slogans
Edited and translated by Anna Mostovych
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RS5ffoZLZEU
