Protest against OSCE police mission in Donbas underway in Donetsk
DONETSK. June 10 (Interfax) - A large-scale rally to protest against the deployment of an armed mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is expected to take place in Donetsk on Friday, an Interfax correspondent reported from the scene.
The city's central streets have been temporarily closed to traffic.
Thousands of people are currently marching along the city's Main Artem Street to Lenin Square, where the rally itself will be held.
Demonstrators are holding banners reading 'No to OSCE armed mission!', 'Donbas against armed mission!', 'Armed mission-military invasion', and 'We ourselves will ensure our security'.
There is an increased police presence in the area. The city center has been temporarily closed to traffic.
"Around 30,000 people are attending the action today," Donetsk Mayor Igor Martynov told reporters.
Speaking at the rally, the chief negotiator of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, said that deploying an armed OSCE mission in Donbas was unacceptable.
"An armed mission's deployment is a total and unconditional breakdown of the Minsk agreements. It is unacceptable for us. Poroshenko wants to make the OSCE a third side in the conflict, and armed observers will be a target for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. We are opposed to an armed OSCE mission. It is a complete contradiction of the Minsk agreements and a breakdown of all formats. We have made our voice heard," Pushilin said.
