Ukrainians Rally for Independence, Call 1-Day Strike
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians demanding greater independence from Moscow marched peacefully through their capital of Kiev on Sunday ahead of a planned one-day strike across the republic.
Soldiers in trucks escorted the demonstrators, estimated at 60,000 by organizers, as they marched through the city to a rally in a sports stadium carrying the blue-and-yellow national flag of the Ukraine and chanting “Kiev against Moscow!”
Opposition groups called today’s strike to protest a proposed union treaty creating a new relationship between Moscow and the 15 Soviet republics.
“Mother Moscow: We Want to Be Orphans,” declared a banner held aloft by cheering protesters.
Meanwhile, Soviet troops withdrew from view in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku on Sunday as voters took part in the first local elections there since Moscow forcibly cracked down on mass unrest in January.
About 60% of voters across the southern republic had turned out to cast ballots by Sunday afternoon.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
