Hundreds of thousands of protesters have already gathered in Kyiv and all over Ukraine protesting the regime of Yanukovich

Massive demonstrations against Yanukovich regime in Lyiv
(Image: TSN)

Nearly 500 thousand people have gathered in downtown Kyiv, according to the estimations of the journalists and activists. Tens of thousands are also protesting all over Ukraine with the biggest numbers of protesters in Lviv, Ternopil and other cities of Western Ukraine. The numbers of protesters in Kyiv streets are rapidly increasing with more and more people joining the rallies against the regime of Victor Yanukovich and his government.

Demonstrators are demanding resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers and impeachment of the President who lost his legitimacy after recent events and Saturday’s violent dispersal of the peaceful sit-in on Independence Square resulted in dozens wounded and numerous activists and protesters arrested and detained.

Ukrainian oppositional leaders have called for the nationwide demonstrations and People Council in order to take a decision regarding the next steps and coordinate the actions in order to achieve the goals of the Ukrainian Revolution. National strike is declared to start on Monday, 2 December.

All the center of Kyiv is currently packed with hundreds of thousands of protesters from all over Ukraine and there are also representatives of other countries as well supporting Ukrainians and their aspirations to change the system and to cleanse the power in Ukraine. The numbers of protesters are unprecedented and the situation is developing rapidly.

Oppositional leaders deliver their speeches to the people of Ukraine gathered on the Independence Square and following the events on TV and in internet as well and announcing about the strike and civil disobedience to start on Monday.

Meanwhile protesters have taken the building of Kyiv City Council and it is turned into the headquarters of the protest movement. Police forces have left the building.

Hundreds of people have gathered also in front of the building of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine located close to Independence and European Squares. Personnel of security forces and police has been deployed to the scene with the units of riot police allegedly brought from Southern regions of Ukraine as the numbers on the busses carried them are from Crimea. The riot police soldiers refuse to communicate with the journalists, while the police stated they received an order to protect the building of the government and will not attack protesters.

People are marching to downtown Kyiv to join the protests
(Image: TBi)

The building of trade unions located on Khreshatyk Street in front of the Independence Square is also taken by the protesters led by the leaders of Svoboda (Freedom) Party. All the seven floors of the building are currently taken.

Meanwhile hundreds of people are in front of the Administration of President located on Bankova Street, close to the Cabinet of Ministers. Nearly 300 people in black masks were noticed on the scene, in front of the lines of riot police and security forces protecting the building and blocking the entrances. Some protesters assumed these people could be possibly provocateurs, so the activists were calling to the protesters to not react on the provocations and to remain peaceful. 

Though in several minutes the situation in front of the Administration of President has escalated when those young people in masks captured the bulldozer and tried to break the lines of riot police and to storm the building of the Presidential Administration. The situation remains tense there as some protesters are calling to calm down and not use the violence and some other protesters calling for the storming. The activists warn that this could be provocations to create the clashes and give the reason for riot police to attack and disperse the crowds. 

Kyiv City Council taken by protesters
(Image: EuroMaidan Lviv, Facebook Community)

According to the recent reports Petro Poroshenko and Oleg Tyagnybok, two prominent oppositional leaders, have already arrived to the scene in order to stop the possible violence. They are currently negotiating with riot police and with the protesters, but everything is tense, and there were even attempts to attack the politicians. 

According to Mustafa Nayem, prominent Ukrainian journalist, who is currently at the scene, reports there are no other political leaders here to calm the people. There is also tear gas and smoke bombs being thrown at the people and the police from the side of possible provocateurs, but riot police and protesters try not to respond.

The numbers of people joining the protests are increasing with every minute. The situation though remains tense in some locations, such as Administration of President.

Storming of Administration of President lasted for three hours until the clashes were stopped and the opposition finally appeared there calling for people to leave this place and come back to the Independence Square. During the clashes riot policemen have violently beaten severla protesters who were standing close to the police lines, Internet and social media sharing the videos of these violent clashes and beatings.

Meanwhile the situation there is tense, but the clashes are stopped, and most ofthe protesters have left the scene. Lines of riot police and special forces are blocking the ways to the building of Administration of President, barricades have been erected.

Bankova Street, near Administration of President
(Image: Julia Lugovska)

Oppositional leaders on the Independence Square have called for the nation strike to start on Monday, 2 December. They are calling for blocking the work of the main governmental and administrative buildings and also blocking the roads and highways leading to Kyiv in order to have the possibility to check everybody who enters the city. These measures are necessary in the light of the recent reports about numerous buses carrying security forces and riot police personnal to Kyiv.

Tents are being erected on the Independence Square, protesters are barricading the entrances to the Square and claim they are ready for the possible attacks.

Maenwhile there was information about the secret emergency meeting of Victor Yanukovich with sevral representatives of authorities held in his residence in Mezhygirya, close to Kyiv. Among the possible option of resolving the crisis is declaring of the state of emergency in the country, report the journalists, but this variant is difficult under the current circumstances as it requires voting of the majority in Parliament.