Happening Now: Crimean Tatars blockade crossing to Russian-occupied Crimea (live updates)

The peninsula's minority Muslim population face persecution under the Kremlin-appointed authorities

21.09.2015 Economic blockade of Ukraine's Crimea enters second day

Tatars and members of the nationalist Right Sector group, who are behind the "economic blockade" say their aim is to highlight discrimination and harassment since Russia annexed the region last year Full story

20.09.2015

UPDATE: Ukraine's Internal Affairs Ministry has said the situation at the country's defacto mainland border with Crimea is controlled and passenger traffic can pass unhindered. Queues of several kilometers have built up approching the Ukrainian-controlled at Chongar after activists began their indefinite blockage.

Chief of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis representative body called on Ukrainian businessmen to quote 'not feed the bandits'

Earlier in the day Crimean Tatars have blockaded the entrance into their Russian-occupied Ukrainian homeland.

Protesters are preventing freight transport from crossing the border. A three kilometer line of trucks has already built. The action started on September 20 at noon.

Read the demands of the protesters here

Blockade seems to be working but how long this protest can go on for. Crimean Tatar leaders themselves unsure.

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) September 20, 2015

Pravy Sector are playing leading role in the Crimean Tatar trade blockade + primarily responsible 4 closing roads. Intriguing cooperation

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) September 20, 2015

Lots of angry lorry drivers at Chaplina crossing point, who are being told they are not patriots for feeding Crimea pic.twitter.com/JBHN6H9VZE

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) September 20, 2015

1st truck in line at Chaplynka makes U-turn & goes back to mainland #Ukraine #CrimeaBlockade https://t.co/rLRX7hCKGd pic.twitter.com/ie223HkBqe

— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) September 20, 2015

#Crimea Tatars +Right Sector blockade shipments of food + other goods to #Crimea from #Ukraine side of defacto border pic.twitter.com/xf3IsVhLES

— Ian Bateson (@ianbateson) September 20, 2015

Economic blockage of occupied Crimea. Kalanchak. #CrimeaBlockade #Crimea pic.twitter.com/QCu9l3N5VR

— Tetiana Bezruk (@Bezruck) September 20, 2015

Блокада началась: на Чонгаре протестующие перекрыли дорогу http://t.co/UneBfdFoxY#блокадакрыма#крымреалии pic.twitter.com/mmVi1kNkxK

— Крым. Реалии (@krymrealii) September 20, 2015

The two leaders Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov are there.

Mustafa #Dzemilev arrives to #CrimeaBlockade. Chubarov announces that at least 1000 people will block truck traffic pic.twitter.com/A5pbaNknlZ

— Evgen Vorobiov (@vorobyov) September 20, 2015

ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/radiosvoboda/status/645531448364171264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw