Locals attack activists in Odesa who were dismantling Soviet symbols; police launch investigation

A confrontation broke out in Odesa between local residents and civil activists attempting to dismantle a memorial plaque honoring Russian and Soviet figures. Police have launched two criminal proceedings and issued an administrative offense report.

According to Censor.NET, the incident was reported by the "Decolonization. Ukraine" project and the civil organization "Robymo Vam Nervy."

What the activists say:

On May 17–18, the activists posted updates on the removal of several memorial plaques and address signs honoring Russian and Soviet figures. Among them were writer Alexander Pushkin, Soviet lieutenant Petro Schmidt, Hero of the USSR Dmytro Medvedev, and Soviet intelligence officer Mykola Heft.

Vadym Pozdniakov, head of the project, told Suspilne that near the Heroes of Border Guards Square, as the activists set up a ladder and began dismantling another plaque, a group of local residents approached and expressed their discontent.

"They were frustrated with the fact of the (removal - ed.note) itself. There was some sort of discussion, a conversation, and so on. There was no physical aggression, really, and everything would have been fine if a group of completely erratic individuals hadn’t suddenly run out from the yard. They looked like they were either drunk or under the influence of drugs and immediately started throwing punches at the people there. A massive scuffle broke out in the area," he said.

The "Robymo Vam Nervy" organization claims that one of the victims sustained multiple bruises, abrasions, and a head laceration, while another had their phone stolen.

"The locals quickly came up with a narrative that the activists allegedly started spraying everyone with tear gas first, and only then did the crowd beat them up — which, in their words, was ‘deserved.’ When police arrived, they immediately focused on this version and on the victims, rather than the attackers," stated the "Decolonization. Ukraine" group.

Police response

Preliminary findings by law enforcement indicate that a conflict between members of a civic organization attempting to dismantle a memorial plaque and local residents continued over the course of two days.

"On the first day, one local resident tried to prevent the activists from removing the plaque, prompting them to use pepper spray against him. No official complaints or reports were filed with the police at that time," officers stated.

The following evening, a call was made to the 102 emergency line reporting another conflict at the same location. This time, the incident ended in a brawl, the removal of the plaque, and the disappearance of a mobile phone.

According to the police, based on statements from two representatives of the civic organization, two criminal investigations have been launched and registered in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

Article 125 (minor bodily injuries);
Part 4 of Article 185 (theft).

The remaining participants of the conflict have not filed any statements.

In addition, a woman who damaged the plaque has been cited for violating state standards, norms, and regulations in the sphere of urban maintenance (Article 152 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Police are working to establish all the circumstances of the incident.