Police Disperse Picket Against War in Donbas Near European Parliament

PARIS, November 24 (Sputnik) — Strasbourg police dispersed a picket Monday against the war in Donbas, staged next to the European Parliament building, one of the organizers said.

"We planned a mass picket tomorrow. Today just around ten people came. We had just unfurled banners and taken out flags, when the city police chief arrived. He said that the permission for the picket that we had received from the prefecture was invalid. He said that the Pope was coming and the whole region would be closed off. He gave us several minutes for packing up and threatened to take us to the police station if we resist," the organizer told RIA Novosti.

He also added that the local authorities knew about the Pope's visit when they gave the permission. It is likely that the Ukrainian embassy found out about the planned demonstration and contacted the police, one of the organizers concluded.

An armed conflict started in eastern Ukraine in mid-April, when Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters in the country's eastern regions (Donbas) that refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government after February coup and declared independence. The military operation has led to a desperate humanitarian situation in Donbas.

The conflicting sides agreed on a ceasefire at a meeting of the so-called Contact Group on Ukraine held in Minsk on September 5. Another meeting of the Contact Group on September 19 resulted in a memorandum, specifying the implementation of the ceasefire. Since the establishment of the truce, the sides have accused each other of numerous violations.