In Simferopol, activists historically gathered mainly on the square in front of the Crimean government building. However, at the end of February, including the morning of the 26th, they made their way to the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC .

The Presidium condemned the public protests. On the days when the Maidan sank into a bloodbath, the head of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, went to Moscow. There he voiced the idea of denouncing the 1954 decision on the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.

On 02/25/2014, the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC was blocked by about 400 pro-Russian activists. They demanded to remove the state symbols of Ukraine and to convene an extraordinary session which should pass a decision to hold a referendum on the independence of Crimea.

Inside the Crimean parliament, a round table was held with the participation of the members of the Russian State Duma. The evening before, they met with Sergey Aksyonov and Sergey Tsekov, members of the Crimean parliament, two out of three representing the Russian Unity party in the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC.

At 15:00, the speaker accepted the demands of the pro-Russian picketers and called the members of parliament to convene for the session scheduled for 02/26/2014. Meanwhile, the Simferopol organization of the Russian Unity party notified the city executive committee about a rally where it intended to gather fifteen thousand people between 13:00 and 20:00 of the same day in front of the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC, ostensibly against the destabilization of the situation as well as for the preservation and expansion of the powers of the Republic of Crimea.

In the evening, Sergey Aksyonov having become aware that the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People would also hold a rally, decided to engage the illegal paramilitary group, the People's Militia of Crimea to guard the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC.

Representatives of the pro-Russian Cossack organizations were mobilized; among their leaders was Sergei Shuvaynikov, also a member of parliament representing the Russian Unity party. Pro-Russian militant groups, mostly men brought from Sevastopol (about 1,000) and Yevpatoria (about 400), also contributed to the escalation of violence on the day of the confrontation.

Law enforcement agencies were notified about the planned rallies, which is confirmed by the estimates for the personnel and equipment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs which were allocated for the event, however, the police remained passive and never used riot control gear during the entire rally. On that day, according to various estimates, up to 20,000 activists gathered on the square in the presence of 551 law enforcement officers.

On the eve of the landmark rally, disturbing news were heard almost from everywhere: Russian troops were moving across the peninsula, journalists were being persecuted, so-called "self-defense" groups were being formed, and hostile checkpoints were set up. The administration buildings were targeted, and the Cossacks were bossing around even in churches... The civil society of Crimea, therefore, assumed the state functions - activists gathered for the sake of preserving the unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar flags prevailed there. Chanting went on: "Glory to Ukraine!", "Glory to the Heroes!", "Allah Akbar!", "Down with the gang!", "Ukraine!", "Crimea is Ukraine!", "Mohyliov, out of Crimea!", "Crimea is not Russia!"," Down with the Russian flag!" The protesters appeared to be unprepared in many ways. Their audio gear was poor, they argued with each other from time to time, and not everyone was properly informed of what the assembly was all about.

Sergey Aksyonov, the future head of the occupation administration, was actively in charge of the pro-Russian side. There they chanted: "Russia!", "Crimea is Russia!", "Glory to the heroes of Berkut", "Fascism won't fly!" The crowd waved the flags of Crimea, the Russian Unity party, the St. Andrew's flag and some communist symbols. At times, a large flag of the Russian Federation was unfurled.

The organizers of both sides negotiated from time to time, agreeing on the disposition of the activists, urging the participants to avoid provocations, and encouraging the police to restore order and to keep things secure. Law enforcers

Members of parliament would convene no more on that day, and the organizers of both sides would call out to people to leave the rally and to keep calm. By the evening, only pro-Russian activists and personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs would remain on the square in front of the parliament.

30 people would seek medical assistance. The duty medical officer would report two citizens of Ukraine dead, apparently from the injuries caused in the tussle on the square. Investigation into these circumstances, and more broadly into unlawful violent obstruction of rallies in support of the integrity of Ukraine, would begin promptly.

Former employees of the law enforcement bodies of the ARC who were supposed to ensure the protection of the public order at the parliament building and who failed to properly perform their duties would be investigated. On the same day, the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine would open proceedings on the counts of acts of separatism in Crimea.

At night, the Russian military would seize the buildings of the parliament and government of the ARC. Having established effective control on the territory of the peninsula, Russia would start illegitimate and politically motivated persecution of public activists. The case of February 26, would be one of the first and the most notorious persecutions of pro-Ukrainian participants of the rally. Some of them would receive unlawful prison sentences from 3 to 8 years.

Under the procedural management of the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea a pre-trial investigation is underway in a number of criminal proceedings on the facts of illegal persecution of the representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and the illegal ban on its activity as constituting criminal offenses under Part 1 Article 438, Part 1 Article 119, Part 2 Article 121, Part 1 Article 122, Article 340, Parts 1, 2 Article 146, Part 2 Article 162 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

During the pre-trial investigation, 29 individuals were indicted for unlawfully persecuting and imprisoning citizens of Ukraine who participated in the rally, of committing offenses under Part 1 Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) and Article 111 (high treason) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The suspects, inter alia, betrayed their oath of allegiance to the people of Ukraine and defected to serve in the illegitimate law enforcement and judicial authorities set up by the occupying state.

At the same time, several suspects violated the norms of international humanitarian law; while implementing the policy of the occupying state aimed at persecuting the pro-Ukrainian population of the peninsula, they retrospectively applied the legislation of the Russian Federation and sentenced the protesters to imprisonment.

 

Despite all this, 02.26.2014 would be remembered for the edge of pro-Ukrainian public activists in Crimea and the beginning of peaceful resistance of the Crimeans to the Russian occupation. Two years later, this day would be officially included in the Ukrainian calendar of memorable dates. In 2020, the President of Ukraine would establish the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which will be marked annually on February 26.