Kharkiv city government building infiltrated by pro-Russian protesters (UPDATE, VIDEO)

 “They were shouting and broke windows, although nobody actually was trying to stop them,” say Eugene Maslov, a Kharkiv journalist. They stayed inside the building with the city’s mayor, Gennadiy Kernes, according to an Interfax-Ukraine news agency report.

Watch live stream from Kharkiv here.

Earlier in the day, at least three people were severely beaten in Kharkiv around 3 p.m. on April 13 during clashes between Kharkiv supporters of the EuroMaidan Revolution and pro-Russian protesters, according to Glavnoe, a local news website.

At least five ambulances were sent to Kharkiv’s central square. According to unconfirmed reports from eyewitnesses on the ground, there may be up to seven people injured. Two metro stations were closed in Kharkiv because of the ongoing unrest, reports Mediaport.  

Here is a compilation of a news report by Glavnoe and Ukrainska Pravda:

Both rallies were taking place in the city simultaneously. After a traditional Sunday pro-Ukrainian rally near Taras Shevchenko Monument in Shevchenko Park ended, and some of the protesters moved towards Kharkiv State Regional Administration building, where they were attacked by pro-Russian activists. 

As police tried to guard the pro-Ukrainian march from one side, pro-Russian fighters found a way to attack EuroMaidain support from the side of Shevchenko Park. 

Gunshots and grenade explosions were heard. EuroMaidaners were chased by pro-Russian protesters along Kharkiv’s main street (VIDEO). 

Pro-Russian protesters chase Kharkiv EuroMaian activists along city’s central street as they leave their usual gathering place near Shevchenko monument after a traditional Sunday EuroMaidan rally on April 13.

Those who tried to hide inside the metro were also chased down and beaten. At least three beaten protesters were dragged to the stairs of University Metro Station near Svobody Square where a pro-Russian rally was held. 

The video shows three people covered with blood being held on the metro stairs and female pro-Russian activists coming up to them, kicking them and shouting “they are not humans!” The video was removed from YouTube shortly after it was uploaded. 

The victims were soon taken away by ambulances.
However, the situation in the city did not calm down, according to EuroMaidan SOS activists. More and more people with Russian flags came to Kharkiv’s central square by buses and cars and put on balaclavas.