Phone calls to the Crimean legislature rang unanswered, and its website was down. Refat Chubarov, a local leader of the Tatar community that support the new authorities in Kiev, wrote on his Facebook page early Thursday that the two buildings were taken overnight by uniformed men.
The events in Crimea came as Ukraine's Parliament was to form a new government after three months of street protests and violent clashes resulted in Yanukovych fleeing the capital.
Protesters took to the streets after his decision in November to reject an agreement that would strengthen ties with the EU and instead seek closer cooperation with Moscow. The protests expanded to include grievances against corruption and human rights abuses.
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