The US State Department responded to Ukraine’s military assault on the southeastern city of Mariupol today with a statement condemning the protesters that were killed by Ukraine’s invading tanks for “jeopardizing public order.”

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki insisted the violence was caused by “pro-Russian separatists” and insisted that their protesters were being carried out “in violation of Ukrainian law.”

Though some of the protesters are indeed separatists, much of the movement in the east is simply seeking increased autonomy and guarantees of the rights of the ethnic Russian minority that dominates the east.

The State Department demanded that the protesters immediately disarm and abandon all public buildings to the incoming Ukrainian military, following this up with a call for Russia to similarly demand an end to all public protests in Ukraine’s east.