(JTA) — Several people were injured after protesters displayed anti-Semitic slogans at a political rally in Ukraine.
The April 6 rally in Cherkasy, a city situated 100 miles southeast of Kiev, turned violent after six men took off their jackets to reveal T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Beat the kikes” and “Svoboda,” the name of a Ukrainian ultranationalist movement and the word for “freedom” in Ukrainian.
Police arrested one of the men, who also were confronted by people attending the rally, a gathering of opposition parties.
Police questioned 36 people suspected of inciting ethnic hatred in connection with the incident, according to a report by the Coordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, a watchdog group.
One of those injured at the rally, which was attended by a few hundred people, was Victor Smal, a lawyer and human rights activist.
“I told the men in the T-shirts they were promoting hatred," Smal told the news site newsru.co.il. "They beat me to the ground and kicked me until I lost consciousness."
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.