EuroMaidan rallies in Ukraine - Dec. 5 coverage - Dec. 06, 2013

Editor's Note: The Kyiv Post is providing continuous coverage of the protests in Kyiv and other cities following the government's decision on Nov. 21 to stop European Union integration and end pursuit of an association agreement. The rallies started on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) and are continuing after the Nov. 28-29 summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, at which Ukraine and the EU failed to reach any agreement. The events can be followed on Twitter using hashtags #euromaidan and #євромайдан or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EuroMaydan.

Read the coverage of the Dec. 4 events here.

Read the coverage of the Dec. 3 events here.

Read the coverage of the Dec. 2 events here.

Read the morning coverage of the Dec. 1 events here, and the afternoon and evening coverage here.

Watch video of EuroMaidan events here on live stream and hromadske.tv.

16 busses with thugs arrive in Kyiv

Dec. 5, 10:35 p.m. The buses with athletic young men arrived in Kyiv late evening and parked by Mystetsky Arsenal museum at Lavrska Street, which is close to parliament building and Mariyinsky Park known as a location for pro-government rallies. The guys stepped out and crowded by buses. — Oksana Grytsenko

Business steps up to support EuroMaidan protesters

Dec. 5, 7:11 p.m. Since day 1 of EuroMaidan, the business community stepped in to help out. Myron Spolsky, who owns Vezuvio pizza said they’re going to make 100 “Embassy” pizzas with added tomatoes, to feed EuroMaidan protesters. “We are going to contribute our pizzas at two points – one run by the student organisations near the main door of the Central post office, and another on 13 Institutska St., across the National Bank of Ukraine,” Spolsky said in an email.

Propests are mutating to take new forms

Dec. 5, 6:40 p.m. Protests are gaining new shapes and forms on the streets of Kyiv and away from the public eye. Think tanks and investment banks are putting out lists of companies of the oligarchs who have not supported the European inegration, to make sure that their products get boycotted.

The list and logos of companies who have not supported the European integration.

In a video released by Youtube user Maryna Kolesnichenko, people in Lva Tolstoho metro in Kyiv sing Ukraine’s anthem as another form of protest. Quiet resistance has been gaining strength along, while thousands remained on the streets. — Katya Gorchinskaya

Bratstvo leader Korchynsky wanted by police as suspect in organizing mass disorder on Bankova Street

Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m. The leader of the Bratstvo party Dmytro Korchynsky has been declared a suspect, under an article of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in organizing mass disorder on Bankova Street on December 1, deputy prosecutor of Kyiv Serhiy Sofiyev has said. — Interfax-Ukraine

Vitaliy Zakharchenko said opposition commits crime by forming list of Euromaidan enemies

Dec. 5, 4:46 p.m. The drawing up of lists of Euromaidan enemies by the oppositional political forces could be a crime under the current legislation of Ukraine, Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko has said.

“Today some politicians in their speeches are calling for lists of Euromaidan enemies to be made up, and this fact does not rule out possible threats to people on the list and their families. The list includes judges, Berkut [riot police] employees, investigators and others. Such threats, according to the current legislation are a component of crime. Such actions entail criminal responsibility,” Zakharchenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday. — Interfax-Ukraine

Prosecutor office opened three criminal proceedings

Dec. 5, 4:09 p.m. Prosecutor’s office opened three criminal proceedings againts riot police officers who clashed with peaceful demonstators on Nov. 30. They are charged with abuse of power, Yuriy Udartsov, deputy chief prosecutor said, Ukrainska Pravda reports. — Olena Goncharova

Protesters near government building, quiet on Maidan

Dec. 5, 3:20 p.m. Police blocked streets near parliment putting their busses across the roads. The area is closed for pedestrians, and only hundreds of policemen are walking along the empty streets. Presidential administration is surrounded by hundred of policemen with iron shields. Dozens of protestors are crowding in the corners of Bankova St., waving Ukrainian flags and listening to Ukrainian folk songs.

About 50 people are standing by Cabinet of Ministers waving flags of Svoboda party and listening to Ukrainian pop songs. The protest life is concentrated at Independence Square and Khreschetyk St, where around 5,000 people are present. They are listening to speeches from stage, warming up by fires, young men are playing football, street vendors are selling Ukrainian and EU flags and stripes. — Oksana Grytsenko

Protesters gather on Mykhailivska square to support detained activists

Dec. 5, 2:51 p.m. Hundreds of protesters, mostly young people and students gathered on Mykhailivska square near the Kyiv City Police Office holding posters with the names of detained activists and chanting “Zakharchenko to the jail!” LB.ua reports. — Olena Goncharova

Law enforcement agents ask protesters to leave Kyiv city hall

Dec. 5, 1:45 p.m. Law enforcement agents demand to stop blocking administrative buildings. They read the resolution of Shevchenko court to the protesters, who gathered in the Kyiv city hall. The statement reads that the activists have to leave the building. The activists were chanting “Shame!” and keep staying there, Ukrainska Pravda reports. — Olena Goncharova

Anonymous supports Ukraine’s protesters

Dec. 5, 1:28 p.m. Hacker group Anonymous has launched a campaign in support of the protesters who suffered from police brutality during the latest events in Kyiv. They make an appeal to police and Ukraine’s government: “We saw the violation of rights of many Ukrainians and will keep an eye on Ukrainian revolution. We warn Ukrainian politicians. Expect our harmful wrath,” reads the statement. — Olena Goncharova

Over 400 seek medical aid after clashes in central Kyiv

Dec. 5, 12:40 p.m. As many as 412 people have requested medical care since the start of pro-EU rallies in Kyiv, Oleh Tatarov, deputy chief of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s Main Investigative Department, said. Those injured during clashes that accompanied protests against the Ukrainian government’s decision to postpone the signing of an association agreement with the European Union include over 220 officers of law enforcement agencies, Tatarov said during the roundtable. — Interfax-Ukraine

Lviv protesters make a video appeal

Dec. 5, 12:21 p.m. A video, posted by Ukrainian journalist and writer Otar Dovzhenko features Lviv protesters addressing Ukrainians and international community. They asked to support the nation and impose the sanctions on the president Viktor Yanukovych, the government and protect convicted activists. The video can be found here. — Olena Goncharova

Protesters picket president’s administration

Dec. 5, 11:48 a.m. A few dozen people are picketing the president’s administration. They tell jokes and recite slogans from a Batkivshchyna-logotyped minibus. Mykola Knyazhtskiy just said into a mike that they are not letting any workers into the building. An ornanized column described as Svoboda just joined them, shouting “Glory to Ukraine, glory to heroes.” There are several hundred of them. The building is heavily guarded by riot police in full gear and barricaded by police buses. All back doors and gates to the president’s administration remain blocked by the strikers and guarded by riot police. — Katya Gorchinskaya

Dec. 5, 11:31 a.m. The record which is believed to be the conversation of special riot police officers on the night of Nov. 30, appeared here.

Dec. 5 11:14 a.m. Journalists started to wear special orange vests with the sign “Press”, written on it, to protect themselves. They also started using helmets after more than 40 journalists were injured in clashes with police near president’s administration on Dec. 1.

Activists ask to ignore Party of Region owners’ brands

Dec. 5, 10:34 a.m. The activists announced economic boycott. They asked everyone to ban the products of the companies owned by ruling Party of Regions businessmen. The list of companies published online includes such companies as Amstor supermarket chain, owned by Vadym Novynsky; Hawrylyvsky chicken, owned by Evhen Sigal, Imeksbank, which is controled by Leonid Klimov, TACcombank and TAC drugstore chain, owned by Sergiy Tigipko and more. — Olena Goncharova

Party of Regions supporters gather near Verkhovna Rada

Dec. 5, 10 a.m. More than 500 people came to Verkhovna Rada building to support ruling Party of Regions, Den’ newspaper reports. Meantime, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Rybak has just closed a parliament meeting on Thursday morning, as only 214 MPs showed up in the parliament today. — Olena Goncharova

Over 2,000 protesters remain in Kyiv’s Independence Square

Dec. 5, 9:20 a.m. The number of people attending a pro-EU protest on Independence Square in central Kyiv declined to 2,500-3,000 this morning.

Most demonstrators are simply standing and watching rally-linked videos being shown on a screen installed on the square. Many are huddled around barrel fires to warm themselves.

Several people holding flags of Ukraine’s Svoboda opposition party and red-and-black flags of far-right movements can now be seen outside the central entrance to the government building. — Interfax-Ukraine

EuroMaidan is getting quieter

Dec. 5, 9:00 a.m. Maidan Nezalezhnosti looks pretty empty this morning compared to yesterday. It’s gotten a lot dirtier, some of the protesters have apparently gone to Bankova Street to check out the president’s administration. The president himself is now in China, however. People on Maidan are still gathered around the Christmas Tree, which is draped in various flags and powers, banners and such. There is chicken wire around the base now, so people can no longer climb the infamous Christmas Tree to add to its decor. There is a lot less energy on Maidan, people seem a lot less motivated.

In the city hall, the number of people has also diminished, although it remains under the strikers’ control. The smell from the people spending the night in the building, without having access to shower, is getting much stronger.

The people there seem less political. There are older people hanging around, who look like they’re there to get some free food and spend the night. There are a lot fewer young activists. Had the law enforcers tried to clear the city hall, they would not meet much resistance, except for a bunch of teenagers at the door.

On Maidan Nezalezhnosti, many barricades around the perimeter are also left unguarded, unlike the previous days. — Ian Bateson.

People in Vasylkiv blocked military unit to defend EuroMaidan

Dec. 5, 8:47 a.m. About 100 residents of Vasylkiv city in Kyiv region blocked by their cars entrance to a local riot police unit fearing that the policemen may be sent to the capital to disperse the pro-European rally. “Among men I saw several women who are no less determined,” opposition lawmaker Andriy Pyshny wrote on his Facebook, adding that he brought them greetings and some snacks from EuroMaidan. — Oksana Grytsenko

SEE KYIV POST COVERAGE OF THE NOV. 30 POLICE CRACKDOWN ON EUROMAIDAN HERE:

Interior minister justifies police attacks to EU, US ambassadors

Back to the Middle Ages on the way to Europe: Beaten Kyiv protesters take refuge in church yard

Yanukovych says police beatings not his fault

Kyiv police chief admits ordering attack on EuroMaidan protesters

Opposition under fire for failure to protect protesters

Vox Populi with Daryna Shevchenko: How should the nation react to police violence against protesters?

Victims describe excessive, indiscriminate attacks

Lyovochkin, Yanukovych’s chief of staff, resigns

Police say protesters provoked violence

Police attack on Kyiv’s EuroMaidan demonstrators draws international outrage

Police were ‘like a machine cleaning the street,’ says a beating victim