ODESSA, July 11 - Hundreds of protesters picketed the local government building in Odessa on Wednesday when local officials hosted a roundtable to discuss Ukraine's integration with NATO, a newswire reported.

Supporters of the Progressive Socialist Party, a pro-Russian group, picketed the building with posters reading, "Hands away from Ukraine,” chanting: "We will not let NATO lead the Ukrainian people to slaughter!" Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Meanwhile, massive protests were suspended for two days in Odessa, where the Ukrainian soccer Supercup game is to be held, drawing crowds of fans from Donetsk and Kiev, the chief of the anti-NATO committee, Valery Kaurov said.

However, protests of a larger scale will resume on Thursday, he said.

The Union of Orthodox Christian Citizens of Ukraine, a little-known pro-Russian group that had been active during the protests, vowed to summon up 100,000 protesters between July 4 and July 23 to try to stop a military exercise with NATO.

The protests against the NATO-Ukraine Sea Breeze-2007 continued for the sixth day, while main rallies moved to the Chabanka Range located 25 kilometers from Odessa.

The protesters set up a tent compound at which over 1,500 citizens of Lugansk, Sevastopol, Lviv, Poltava, Odessa, Kharkov, Simferopol and Kiev are staying.

Organizers apparently expect more supporters to come from all regions of Ukraine.

The exercise is taking place between July 9 and July 22 and is aimed at improving cooperation between Ukrainian and NATO troops and naval forces.

At least 21 naval ships and some 1,200 NATO troops from 14 nations are expected to participate in the Ukrainian exercise offshore Odessa and onshore in Mykolayiv region.

Ukraine was expected to send at least 10 naval ships, three strike jets, eight helicopters, undisclosed number of special troops and marines to join the exercise.

Members of the Oko, a little-known group, are also taking part in pickets near the sea terminal in Odessa. The group's press secretary, Anatoly Petrov, said unknown people tried to provoke the protesters, but failed.

"They tried to provoke a fight with the protesters, but nothing came of it. The picketers are law-abiding people and will not take provocations," he said. (it/ez)