Attacks on a Kharkiv TV channel

According to mediafreedomwatch.org, on the night of 7 to 8 April pro-Russian protesters temporarily occupied the headquarters of the local TV channel ATN in Kharkiv (Ukraine).

According to the channel’s journalists, protesters destroyed the furniture and equipment in the offices. Then, after the police arrived, assaulters left the building.

About 50 persons wearing masks broke into the office of the ATN TV channel in Kharkiv. “They smashed all display windows, demanded access to go on air and destroyed the technical equipment,” journalists wrote on the company’s website.

Protesters also intimidated the general director of ATN. The videos that appeared online clearly show young people in masks vandalizing the television’s offices.

That same evening pro-Russian activists tried to take over control of the Kharkiv TV tower. They demanded the broadcasting of Russian TV channels in the region to be resumed, thus protesting against the decision of a Kiev court that temporarily prohibited transmission of Russian televisions in Ukraine. The director of the TV tower managed to convince protesters about the need to address cable operators rather than ATN journalists.

According to unian.uk, one of the Kharkiv TV towers is currently controlled by the law enforcement. The police have initiated criminal investigation of the events at ATN in Kharkiv and are estimating, together with company representatives, the damage caused by protesters.

Source of photo: http://www.unian.net/