UOC MP parishioners in Cherkasy attack a 18000 reporter, damage his equipment
In Cherkasy, on June 29, parishioners of the Holy Candlemas church of the UOC MP attacked Maksym Tkachenko, a videoreporter for the media outlet 18000, and damaged his equipment, writes the media.
The incident happened after a meeting where the community decided to switch from the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The decision was taken unanimously.
However, according to the media, some of the parishioners who support the UOC gathered behind the church's fence and refused to let the public and the reporters enter the premises.
"During the filming, I approached the church. The parishioners weren't letting anyone in there, and they weren't letting anyone out, either. So at first I had to film through the fence, it was a nuisance. So I thought I'd try and film from under the gate. As I was switching the camera to a different mode, someone kicked my hand and the camera. After that, the microphone broke away. It works but is damaged. I didn't see who did it. They initially took my microphone away into the church premises, but after I said that I would call the police, they thrw it out of the gate," Maksym Tkachenko said.
The editors filed a police statement on obstruction of journalistic work.
Photo – 18000
As IMI reported, on February 21, 2023, lawyer Ihor Holubchyk prevented journalists from the local newspaper "18000" from covering a public meeting of supporters of UOC (MP) Metropolitan Bishop Theodosius near the Cherkasy District Prosecutor's Office. At that moment, the clergyman himself was inside the Prosecutor's Office, where he was being interrogated for an investigation. At first, Holubchyk and other unidentified persons were trying to cover the reporters' cameras, and then started pushing them away from Theodosius, who at that moment was exiting the building.
On February 20, the SBU issued a suspicion notice for inciting inter-religious enmity to the head of the UOC (MP) Cherkasy Diocese.
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