In Odesa, police officers beat journalist with truncheons when dispersing rally against Ani Lorak’s concert

On August 3, in Odesa, during confrontations on the beach of the ‘Ibiza’ club police officers beat with rubber truncheons Bohdan Osynsky, the correspondent of “Vzgliad is Odessy”. This happened when the law enforcement units were dispersing Odessa residents protesting againt the concert of Ani Lorak, the media oulet’s website reports.

The journalist was making photos of police officers dispersing the crowd when one of the officers attacked him from behind and hit him on the back and on the neck with his truncheon. When he tried to explain that he is a journalist he sustained several more hits on his head.

In his comment to IMI Osynksy poited out that local police officers knew his face as he has been covering different protest actions and rallies. His pro-Ukrainian stance is known to them and this might have caused their ire.

Osynksy pointed out how cruel the police officers were to the protesters as they were hitting anybody in sight – older women and men, as well as young people.

He does not intend to file a complaint as he does not believe it would lead to anything.