Antifascists, Euromaidan supporters clash in Odessa court

January 22 – The Malinowski District Court Building in Odessa was the site of a brawl between Kulikovo Field activists [antifascists] and Euromaidan supporters, reports the website Timer.

According to the correspondent, the trial of 20 antifascist activists did not begin at the agreed time, but inside the building were activists of the “Self-Defense,” Right Sector and other Euromaidan supporters on one side, and activists of Kulikovo Field on the other.

The Euromaidanists decided to sing the Ukrainian national anthem in the court, the Kulikovtsy responded with “Holy War,” and a brawl ensued, which police had to break up.

However, the Euromaidanists were not satisfied, and the “Self-Defense” shouted obscenities at the lawyers for the defendants, accusing them of protecting separatists and questioning their sexual orientation.

After this the “Self-Defense” decided to storm the courtroom, chanting “murderers.”

Other supporters of Euromaidan, while waiting for the hearing to begin, discussed developments in the Donbass, reflecting that the shelling of residential areas was long overdue “to teach them.” They laughed and shared their opinion that the residents of Donbass will “eat coal.” From time to time, cries were heard of “Down with Putin” and “Glory to Kievan Rus, Novorossiya sucks.”

Police were unable to establish order, and the court session has not begun, as the judges cannot get into the hall, along with some other trial participants. They insist that it is necessary to hold a meeting, since the order to keep the defendants in custody expires in a few days.

Note that this is not the first attempt to begin consideration of the case. Originally, the case was in the Primorsky court. At a hearing on November 27, the case could not begin due to lack of defense counsel for all the accused, but the court nevertheless decided to extend the preventive measures against the defendants, who remained behind bars. The defendants’ attorneys were extremely skeptical of this “compromise”: in their view, to consider any motions, the judge had to start the hearing.

After this, the Primorsky court refused to handle the case of the Kulikovtsy, and the case was transferred to Malinowski court.