A court in Ukraine's capital Kiev Bans Mass rallies in the city's center from December 1 till January 7.

Click banner for more info

A court in Ukraine's capital Kiev has banned rallies in the city's center from December 1 till January 7. This is what lawyer Evgeniya Zakrevskaya, who represented the interests of the defendant, said to the Russian RIA-Novosti news agency.

The complainant was the city administration of Kiev. The court fully satisfied the complainant's claim, Ms. Zakrevskaya says.

Kiev's authorities have turned to the court with a claim to ban for rallies at Bankovskaya Street, where the Ukraine's President's office is, Grushevsky Street, where the parliament's and the government's offices are, near the Interior Ministry's building at Bogomolets Street and at Evropeyskaya Square and Nezavisimost Square (the latter is also known under the Ukrainian name of Maydan Nezalezhnosti) for the above-mentioned period.

Earlier, a rally of the opposition, who are dissatisfied by President Yanukovych's unwillingness to join the European Union, has been ousted by police from Maydan Nezalezhnosti. Now, the opposition is holding a rally at Mikhayloskaya Square.

Speaking at Mikhaylovskaya Square on Saturday, the leader of the opposition party "Batkivschina" Arseny Yatsenyuk said that on Sunday, the opposition's members are planning to gather near the monument to 19th-century Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko and march to Maydan Nezalezhnosti.

About 10,000 residents of Ukrainian city of Lvov heading for Kiev to participate in opposition rallies

About 10,000 residents of Lvov, a city in Western Ukraine, are heading for Kiev to participate in a people’s assembly due to take place at noon on Sunday.

The action has been organized by three opposition parties, including Batkivshchina (Fatherland) of ex-prime minister Yulia Timoshenko, UDAR (Ukraine’s Alliance for Democratic Reforms) led by Vitaly Klichko and the Svoboda (Freedom) movement.

"Some people have already left for Kiev either by bus or by personal transport. Several deputies from the UDAR party will head a column that will set out at night so that people are not stopped on their way and turned back," the press service of the UDAR (Punch) party said.

Vitaly Klichko, the UDAR party leader, on Saturday called on the people of Lvov to take part in the people’s assembly (veche) due to take place outside a monument to poet Taras Shevchenko in front of the Kiev State University. From there, the opposition column will move towards Independence Square.

Ukrainian opposition planning to organize a general strike on Sunday

Ukrainian opposition has planned several protest actions for Sunday. Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the leader of the opposition Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party of ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has called for convening a people’s assembly (veche) outside a monument to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko in front of the Kiev State University at midday.

However, he has not clarified what results he expects from the action, to which, according to him, the united opposition headquarters attaches great importance. Batkivshchina also plans to stage a general strike. "This is not an easy task," Yatsenyuk said. He made it clear that Ukraine’s opposition forces hoped to attract students to their side. "We are calling on students who are the main driving force of Ukraine’s European integration to join political forces and public organizations and go out on our national action," Yatsenyuk emphasized.Ukraine’s former interior minister and opposition member Yuri Lutsenko noted that the opposition could try to block city traffic in the center of Kiev.

About 10,000 advocates of Ukraine’s European integration gathered on Mikhailovskaya Square (outside the St. Michael Cathedral) in Kiev on Saturday evening. The action’s organizers called on the participants to spend the night on the square, using special rest places prepared for them by opposition activists. They can also use the territory of the St. Michael Cathedral located nearby.

The leaders of Ukraine’s opposition parties intend to demand a report from Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko on the causes of cleansing carried out on Kiev’s Independence Square at a meeting of the parliament’s conciliatory council on December 2. "On Monday, we are going to demand that Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko be summoned to parliament to give a clear answer to a question of who ordered him to disperse the demonstrators," Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the Batkivshchina party leader, said. He added that a draft resolution expressing no-confidence in the Ukrainian government had already been submitted to Ukrainian parliament.

He added that he feels sorry for the fact that the rally turned into a clash with police.

"Neither the President nor the government wants to conflict with the opposition," Mr. Azarov assured. "Why should we need a conflict? We prefer a peaceful dialog."

Meanwhile, the Mayor's office of Kiev has asked a court to ban another opposition rally, which is planned for Sunday, the Mayor's office's representative says.

Ukrainian President says he 'outraged' by violence in Kiev

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said on Saturday he was "deeply outraged" by incidents at a pro-Europe rally in the capital Kiev which had led to violent confrontation between protesters and police, and caused injury.

In an address to Ukrainians carried on his web site, he called for an immediate and objective investigation so that those guilty could be punished, though he did not specifically blame the police for the incidents.

In the early hours of Saturday, a special police detachment dissolved a camp of protesters in Ukraine's capital Kiev. 35 people were detained, but after the police compiled charge sheets against them, they were released.

Doctors say that 35 people suffered during the clash. 7 of them are still in hospital.

Pro-EU integration protesters leave Kyivs Maidan

Police have put an end to protests in Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square, following "a number of incidents and clashes" between pro-EU integration supporters and police units. (PHOTO)

According to the foreign media, police used tear gas against the protesters. No one has thus far been officially reported injured.

^{© Photo "Golos Stolitsy"}

There were some 1,500 protesters in the square when the conflict developed.

A group of unidentified people threw a smoke bomb at pro-EU integration supporters yesterday, laying a 10-minute smoke screen in Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

When riot police units arrived, the protesters started breaking police metal fences, provoking clashes with riot police.

Activists urged radical action in social networks and some mass media after the President of Ukraine refused to sign a free trade deal with the European Union during the Eastern Partnership Summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

^{© Photo "Golos Stolitsy"}

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the Ukrainian government led by Mykola Azarov should resign following the forcible breakup of an opposition rally at Independence Square in Kyiv, says Vitali Klitschko, the leader of the Ukrainian opposition party UDAR.

"Responsibility rests both with those who issued an order to disperse the Euromaidan [the pro-European rally at Independence Square in Kyiv] and those who beat defenseless people," Klitschko said.

UDAR demands that Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko and the government led by Mykola Azarov resign and that early presidential and parliamentary elections be called.

"The brutal beating of a peaceful protest rally at Maidan [the Independence Square] and unlawful and disproportionate use of force against defenseless people are examples of unmitigated barbarity of the ruling regime led by Yanukovych," the UDAR press service quoted Klitschko as saying.

© Photo "Golos Stolitsy"

The authorities thwarted the signature of an association agreement with the EU to untie their hands for lawlessness, as such actions would have been unthinkable in a truly European country, he said.

"By resorting to the forcible breakup of the Maidan, Yanukovych sealed his own doom, and I am sure both Ukrainian society and the international community will properly assess these actions," Klitschko said.

He called on Ukrainian citizens to gather at central squares of their cities and villages, protest against the authorities' actions and send their representatives to Kyiv.

© Photo "Golos Stolitsy"

Political scientist Viktor Kuvaldin, head of the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the Moscow School of Economics, Moscow State University, said in an interview to the Voice of Russia that such proposals are illicit.

"Yanukovych is legitimately elected President and the Azarov government is legitimate so the same regulations that are applied in Europe must be applied in relation to them. If we're talking about replacing them it means we must do it by means of democratic elections. In my opinion, it seems to be an attempt of psychological pressure on Yanukovych," he explained.

Kuvaldin noted that prior to a summit in Vilnius all the political tools were used to make Yanukovych feel the "unprecedented pressure". One of such tools was a rally in the center of Kyiv.

On November 21, the Ukrainian government suspended preparations for signing an association agreement with the EU. Among other reasons, the Cabinet indicated the necessity to develop economic relations with Russia and former Soviet Union countries as a motive for the move. The signing of the agreement was scheduled for next week.

The Ukrainian opposition expressed its indignation with the decision, threatening dissolution to the government and impeachment of President Yanukovych. The first Ukrainian President, Leonid Kravchuk, in an exclusive interview to the Golos Stolytsy radio station (the Voice of the Capital radio station) commented the likelihood of the impeachment of the Ukrainian leader.

"This is nonsense. First of all, we don't have an impeachment law. We have a provision in the Constitution but there is no law. Second, such decisions are made in the Verkhovna Rada and not in the streets. I think it's impossible and nobody will benefit from it. But the issue of an early general election might be raised. However, it's hard to say whether it will come true and the President will give his consent to an early election," Kravchuk said.

On the same day, the Verkhovna Rada rejected six bills relating to medical treatment of prisoners abroad. All of them were indirectly aimed at finding a solution to the problem with ex-Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko whose treatment outside Ukraine was one of the UN's conditions of signing the association agreement.

In this respect, protest actions of European integration proponents began in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. On November 28, both European integration advocates and opponents marched in Kyiv.

President Viktor Yanukovych clarified d that his refusal to sign the agreement doesn't mean that Ukraine gives up an idea of European integration. Nevertheless, he still hasn't signed the association agreement with the EU. Viktor Kuvaldin comments Yanukovych's words:

"Yanukovych is not against moving towards European integration. Moreover, he said that the door is opened and Ukraine will carry on negotiating and that they intend to sign the agreement after all. He raised a completely different question– the question of the cost of this agreement. The matter is that Ukraine will be in need of approximately $15 billion in order to avoid default next year. Turning back to European integration, the country needs to find $150 billion which is roughly the EU annual budget. Ukraine itself doesn't have such money. Russia made it clear it wouldn't be paying for European integration. And the EU is not much willing to come down with the money either," Kuvaldin concluded.

Kyiv police release all 35 detained for resistance at Maidan Nezalezhnosti

The 35 people who were detained by police at a pro-European rally at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in the center of Kyiv have been released after administrative reports were drawn up on them, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said in a statement.

"The law enforcement arrived at Independence Square after they received a report from the Kyiv State City Administration's public utilities department. 'Berkut' [special police task force] started acting after the demonstrators resisted police and pelt them with trash, glasses, bottles with water, and burning sticks. As a result, 35 people were detained. Administrative reports have been drawn up on them, and they have been released," it said.

- In Kyiv, police arrest 33 people after forcing protesters out of Maidan Nezalezhnosti

After students present at Independence Square declared the suspension of the protest and started to break up on Friday evening, workers from the Kyiv State City Administration tried to send sweeping trucks and other vehicles there to resume preparations for the New Year festivities, it said.

"Despite repeated explanations given to the demonstrators on the need to ensure passage for the vehicles and warnings about responsibility for resisting the utility workers, they barred the vehicles from passing and were behaving aggressively. The utility workers asked the city police to ensure unimpeded passage of vehicles to Independence Square," it said.

After police arrived at the scene, the demonstrators, grossly violating public order, started pelting the law enforcement officials with trash, glasses, bottle with water and burning sticks, after which the police ousted the demonstrators from Independence Square, the statement says.

Thirty-five people were detained and brought to police stations to hold them administratively liable for disorderly conduct and resistance to law enforcement officials, after which they all were released, it said. Police will launch inquiries in all complaints about injuries during the conflict it might receive from people, it said.

Pro-European integration demonstrators clash with police in Ukrainian capital

In Kyiv's Independence Square, where a round-the-clock rally in support of Ukraine's European integration is underway, there have occurred midnight clashes between demonstrators and police.

According to local mass media, 200-300 crack police blocked two trucks carrying equipment that had been used by speakers at the rally. The trucks have now been moved to the other side of the square.

Police have also forced demonstrators to leave the traffic lanes of Kreshchatik street.

At the moment of the conflict there were about 1,500 demonstrators in the square.