Participants of a Yushchenko mass-meeting beaten in Luhansk

A group of people armed with hammers and cold weapons fiercely beat the
participants of a mass-meeting in support of Viktor Yushchenko, Ukrainian News reports.

Dozens of journalists, including journalists from the information agency Ukrainian News, foreign observers and supporters of the opposition leader were injured.

The incident occurred about 1 p.m. on Monday during the mass-meeting of Yushchenko
supporters in Luhansk. According to a journalist from Ukrainian News, who was also injured during the incident, a column of about 300 Yanukovych supporters came up to the column of 70 Yushchenko supporters. Suddenly, when the columns were close enough, about 30 armed people in black leather jackets came out of the crowd and surrounded the column of Yushchenko supporters. Journalists covering the event were mingled with Yushchenko supporters.

The attackers made a tight circle around the crowd and began beating people, taking away their cell-phones, video cameras and other devices. Only the injured who had no means of communication were allowed to leave the column.

The attackers beat the journalists with hammers on the head, beating them with feet and heavy items. According to witnesses, about several dozens of people were injured.

According to one journalist, the attackers were fiercely beating the correspondent of the Luganchany newspaper and the coordinator of projects of OSCE in Luhansk Oblast. A volunteer of the John Howard Society (Canada), Silve Rossel, received a craniocerebral injury and is now being operated on.

Two people from Yushchenko headquarter in Luhansk Oblast were also beaten, Yevheniy
Savchenkos nose was broken. The full names of other injured persons are being released. The staff of the information agency demands that the law enforcement bodies take urgent measures to catch the criminals.

Data about the number of injured and possible fatalities is now being specified.

http://www.obozrevatel.com/index.php?r=news&t=2&id=168037