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| Sunday's Euromaidan rally in Kyiv (Image: Euromaidan Facebook Page) |
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have gathered on Sunday, 12 January, in
Kyiv Independence Square, known currently as Euromaidan, for the massive
anti-government rallies called by the oppositional forces and civic organizations.
Friday’s clashes between the peaceful protesters and security forces in
front of the court building in one of Kyiv districts and violent beating of the
protesters and journalists by the riot police sparked the new wave of people’s
anger willing to change the system in the country.
According to the Interior Ministry’s estimations, there were only nearly
8 thousand of protesters on Sunday, though different independent sources claim
Sunday’s protests were attended by at least 50 thousand people. Oppositional
estimations state there were more than 100 thousand. Anyway, despite the cold
and rainy weather on Sunday the main square of Ukraine was literally packed by
the protesters with the massive rallies being held all over Ukraine and also
outside of Ukraine, including USA and European countries.
The key demands of Euromaidan remain the same: justice for all the
unlawfully detained activists and journalists, responsibility and criminal
punishment for all those who stand behind the dispersals of the protests and
the following intimidation campaign against Euromaidan activists, release of
the political prisoners and detained activists, resignation of Minister of
Interior Vitaly Zakharchenko and of the whole Cabinet of Ministers. The
long-term demands include reforming of all the kye institutions of the state,
lustration, returning of the 2004 Constitution and cancelling of the 2010
Constitutional Decree issued by Victor Yanukovich, early presidential and
parliamentarian elections. Protesters and activists of Euromaidan though are ready for the long term
fight for the changes of the country’s political system.
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| Anti-government protests in Kyiv continue (Image: Euromaidan Facebook Page) |
As for the results of the current, 7th People’s Council and
the first one in 2014, participants of the rally, National Alliance Euromaidan
and opposition have declared on Sunday their current demands to the government
of Ukraine and President Yanukovich. One of the oppositional leaders Arseny
Yatsenyuk has announced that Euromaidan gives Yanukovich and his regime 10 days
to fulfill the current demands of the protesters: to order the courts to
implement recently issued “amnesty law” regarding all the unlawfully detained
protesters and activists and to order their release. If this decree won’t be
issued and signed by the President, oppositional MPs will come to the
Presidential Administration to demand President to sign this decree.
In addition to that oppositional forces stressed they continue to demand
release of all the political prisoners including former Prime Minister Yulia
Tymoshenko. They claim they will block the upcoming Parliament’s session to be
held on Monday if these demands won’t be met. In addition to that oppositional
MPs will demand to show and explain all the details of the controversial 2014
budget project.
Protesters and activists have also called for US Senate and for EU to
impose personal sanctions against Ukrainian high officials responsible for the
recent events in the country and political crisis and for the corruption
schemes. Thus, Arseny Yatsenyuk has announced from the stage, that the
representative of Euromaidan, Borys Tarasyuk, will attend Wednesday’s special
meeting of US Senate where the issue of Ukraine and the possibility of imposing
the sanctions will be discussed. According to the previous information, US
Senate already has the list of the names of officials who will probably face
the sanctions. Opposition and Euromaidan protesters demand Vitaly Zakharchenko
and other Interior Ministry officials responsible for the recent violence in
the country to head this list.
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| Automaidan heading to Yanukovich's and other officials' residences (Image: Unian) |
European Parliament in its turn also considers the possibility of
imposing the personal sanctions against some Ukrainian officials. In addition
to that investigations of the sources of financial assets of these high
officials including the family of Yanukovich are also ongoing.
Meanwhile, Automaidan has held the rallies to the residence of
Yanukovich in Mezhygirya in order to deliver the President the demands of the
people and the invitation to the People’s Court to be held in Independence
Square. More than 200 cars with activists headed to the President’s posh
residence located outside of Kyiv. Massive cordons of road police, police and
special security forces have blocked the way to the residence, as the policemen
urged protesters to retreat, but the activists broke the cordons and staged the
demonstration several meters for the Yanukovich’s residence. After that the
column of the cars moved to the residences of other high officials affiliated
with the current regime.
Tens of thousands of people remain in the
Independence Square continuing the anti-government protests.
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