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>>7545440
Odessa Trade Union massacre
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One of the many images activists have produced to memorialize the massacre in Odessa
Teenage girls spotted preparing molotov cocktails, carrying them to the scene and watching while more than 40 people die as a result of their actions.
A woman at the rally in Odessa the day after the fire. Human Rights Watch in October used the image to support a trivial on-line petition against Russia, withdrew it when exposed (Photo: Reuters, HRW (withdrawn))
Ukraine's major port city Odessa on May 2, 2014, saw a string of strange clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of the new Kiev government, which ended with at least 48 people dead (and perhaps over a hundred). The fatalities were almost entirely anti-Kiev activists, including women and a few children. These died in or just outside the Hall of Trade Unions in central Odessa (on Wikimapia), which was sealed off, invaded by pro-Kiev militias, and then ravaged by fires and mysterious toxic gasses in what only some consider a massacre.
Authorities in Kiev have said the victims had occupied the building in an attempt at takeover (like recently happened in Donetsk and other cities), had probably started the fire and gassed themselves accidentally, and died from that or from jumping out windows. But survivors say they were simply trying to hide from a provoked "pro-unity" lynch mob (some of whose members were earlier shot by mystery snipers), who beat some escapees to death. Further, this all happened only after that mob - including members of ultra-nationalist/fascist groups like Right Sector - entered the building with clubs and other weapons (see The Mob Enters the Hall). At least some ostensible fire or falling victims seem to have been deliberately murdered (signs of bludgeoning and gunshots appear clearly, signs of strangulation, hacking, and chemical death might also appear) (see victim analysis.
There had been a movement for federalism or separation from the new government and an Odessa People's Republic, which suffered and was forced underground by the May 2 massacre. This clarifies how it might qualify as as political terrorism. Signs of coordination the Kiev government in an off-the-books "Anti-Terror Operation," and its poor record of investigating the events (see Odessa Trade Union massacre/Investigations make it seem like the state-sponsored sort.
The episode is an exceptionally emotional issue and the subject of hundreds of articles and videos relating the fairly obvious crimes of the mob. From early on, a large amount of video evidence and some witness accounts showed portions of this story, but little new has emerged since, even as several investigations have been ongoing, mostly by the Kiev government. This page, its talk page the various #Sub-pages and their talk pages, reflect an investigation of sorts, moving at least as slowly as the others. This is still exploring outstanding issues including: the early clashes, the strange police inaction, slow fire response, true identity of the provocateurs, true death toll and nature, the chemical agent(s) used against the federalists, possible official sanctions, the conduct and findings of other investigations, etc.. We warmly invite anyone interested in adding to or improving this record to register and do so.
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