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| Violent clashes erupted in Kyiv during anti-government protests (Image: AP) |
Ukrainian opposition called for the new demonstrations to be held in
Kyiv on Sunday, 19 January, after Mr. Yanukovich has signed the scandalous laws
restricting basic personal and civil rights and freedoms of Ukrainian approved
recently by the Parliament. Hundreds of thousands of citizens from all over
Ukraine have gathered for the eighth People’s Council in Independence Square in
Kyiv known as Maidan.
People have been waiting for the decisive steps and detailed plan
imposed by Ukrainian oppositional leaders in order to fight the current regime
and its attempts to usurp all the power in the country and to impose
dictatorship in Ukraine. Although the oppositional leaders have just delivered
several usual speeches calling for the necessity of changing the regime and
political system, but there was no plan and no decision. This move has
disappointed protesters, and after people have asked Arseny Yatsenyuk to name a
single leader of the protest and resistant movement, Mr. Yatsenyuk declared
that “The leaders of the resistant movement are Ukrainian people”.
Meanwhile several radical groups including the so called “Right Sector”
(Ukrainian radical ultra right nationalistic group) and allegedly Ultras have
moved towards the cordons of police and special security forces blocking the governmental
district located just a few kilometers far from Euromaidan. Some of the
activists of Automaidan have also moved in the direction of the Parliament in
order to protests there and demand cancelling of the 16 January laws.
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| Clashes in Kyiv (Image: Breaking News) |
Violent clashes erupted there between the radical protesters and police
and security forces in Grushevsky Street, in front of the Dynamo Stadium, when
the protesters have attempted to break the cordons of the soldiers and security
forces. Two police buses were set ablaze; police have been shooting tear gas,
sound and smoke bombs in order to disperse the crowds and to push them back to
Independence Square. Nearly ten thousand people have been clashing there with
the police, though some politicians and activists have claimed the clashes were
started by some provocateurs.
The clashes have started in afternoon and are currently ongoing for more
than 8 hours, with the fierce confrontations. Protesters have been throwing
rocks, fires and Molotov cocktails in the direction of the police and security
forces and made the improvised barricades and shields trying to attack
policemen lines from time to time. Police forces in their turn have been
shooting teargas and sound bombs, though later birdshots have been used as
well.
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| Oppositional leader Vitaly Klichko among the protesters, trying to stop violence (Image: AP) |
Horrific pictures and videos of Kyiv clashes are circulating in media,
as one of the leaders of Ukrainian opposition, Vitaly Klichko, addressed “president”
Yanukovich and called him to stop using forces against the people of Ukraine.
After this address Mr. Klichko headed to Mezhygirja, private residence of
Yanukovich, where he met with him and has held talks regarding the situation in
Kyiv and deepening political crisis.
Victor Yanukovich has promised to form special commission in order to resolve
current political crisis in Ukraine and asked to hold negotiations and round
table with the representatives of the opposition and Euromaidan to be held on
Monday, 20 January.
Arseny Yatsenyuk, another oppositional leader, has announced later from
the stage, that Yanukovich has called him on the phone asking for the talks to
be held.
Opposition claims they will continue to express their demands during the
talks with Yanukovich and his team, though protesters and activists demand the
talks to be held immediately, until Yanukovich and his regime didn’t disperse
protests in the night.
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| Protesters setting ablaze the police buses (Image: Kyiv Post) |
The demands remain the same, as resignation of Ukrainian Cabinet of
Ministers and stepping down of Yanukovich and early presidential and
parliamentary elections are among the key demands.
The situation though remains extremely tense and is escalating, as at
least 25 buses filled with the soldiers of special security forces “Berkut” are
heading towards Kyiv downtown, report journalists and eye-witnesses. Marijinsky
Park, located close to the building of Parliament and to the site of the
current clashes, is also filled with the soldiers and riot police. Cafes and
shops located close to Independence Square are being closed, report the eyewitnesses,
and it is a really worrying sign, as usually it signals that the dispersal is
possible. Activists of Euromaidan also state that dispersal of the protests is
expected to happen this night and call for the wide mobilizations if Kyiv
residents.
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| Clashes erupted during the anti-government protests in Kyiv (Image: BBC) |
Western diplomats and politicians have strongly condemned the actions of
the current government and called to stop using force against Ukrainian
citizens and at the same time addressed the protesters urging them to remain
peaceful and not to escalate the tense situations and crisis in the country. Some
politicians though stress that the current riot of Ukrainians is a consequence
of the recent politics imposed by Yanukovich and his regime.
Meanwhile USA State Department has allegedly started the process of
imposing the personal sanctions against some Ukrainian high officials including
Minister of Interior Vitaly Zakharchenko.
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