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 by rejecting an association agreement. The rallies started on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). The events can be followed on Twitter using hashtags #euromaidan and #євромайдан or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EuroMaydan.
Watch video of EuroMaidan events here on live stream and hromadske.tv
Thousands of activists sing national anthem on Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Okean Elzy says their concert is for victims of police beatings
Dec. 14, 9:45 p.m. Ukraine’s most popular band, Okean Elzy, kicked off its concert on EuroMaidan with a dedication to innocent victims of police brutality and a song called “Rise, my dear!”. The song was the anthem of the Orange Revolution in 2004, and is now frequently played from stage at EuroMaidan. —Daryna Shevchenko
Senator John McCain meets with opposition, church leader, protesters in Kyiv
Dec. 14, 8:50 p.m. US Senator John McCain had an eventful day in Kyiv today. According to his official Twitter account, he spent his day talking to Filaret, the patriarch of the Orthodox Church, talking to the protesters and having dinner with three opposition leaders. He tweeted that he was “honored to meet” with Filaret and had a “Good conversation and dinner with opposition leaders Vitali Klitschko, Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleh Tyahnybok.” — Katya Gorchinskaya
ID documents needed to get into Kyiv City Hall
Dec. 14, 7:23 p.m. The new rule is being introduced in Kyiv city hall starting Dec. 14. In order to minimize provocations everybody needs to have documents, proving one’s identity, before entering Kyiv City hall, UNIAN reports. — Olena Goncharova
Germany official, Klitschko addressed EuroMaidan protesters
Dec. 14, 6:45 p.m. Rebecca Harms, a German politician and Member of the European Parliament for Alliance ’90/The Greens, part of the European Greens, addressed the activists from EuroMaidan stage:” I love your country. I was here two weeks ago, it was wonderful. Then I returned home and saw pictures of the violence… I’m very impressed with the courage of the people in this country. We, European Parliament are with you. We’ll do everything to protect you. We’re trying to hold negotiations with all sides, including the Euromaidan leaders as you decide your future,” she said.
Vitaly Klitschko tahnked the protesters and called on them to stay until the victory. “I want to say thank you to everybody. You are doing a lot while being here. You’ve demonstrated you do not agree with what is happening in the country. Those who are in power are afraid of us, they are mining airports, railways. I don’t know how many days we should stay, but we should stay until we win,” Klitschko said before leaving for the meeting with John McCain. — Anastasia Forina
Pro-government
meeting is over
Dec. 14, 6 p.m. Party
of Regions supporters are leaving Europeiska square in Kyiv after Aleksandr Efremov, the head of the ruling Party of Regions, announced the end of the meeting. He called on participants to go back for work and studying on Monday, Dec. 16. MP also asked to share the information about the situation in Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reports. — Olena Goncharova
Pshonka’s account of events is disproved by ARD video
Dec. 14, 5:55 p.m. Ukraine’s General Prosecutor Viktor Pshonka said at a briefing today that the attack against peaceful demonstrators in the early hours of Nov. 30 started after they were warned to clear the square to make room for a Christmas tree.
However, video footage from German ARD shows that the warning came after Berkut started attacking and beatings young people with truncheons. The video also shows that demonstrators were not resisting, there were no provocations and that when they realized that they are in immediate danger of attack, the demonstrators started signing the Ukrainian anthem. — Katya Gorchinskaya. Video by Oleksiy Stepura
Around 290 Berkut officers dispersed protesters on Nov. 30
Dec. 14, 5:40 p.m. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka said 290 riot police officers ousted protesters during night events on Nov. 30, UNIAN reports. — Olena Goncharova
American porn star and musician Sasha Grey supports EuroMaidan
Dec. 14, 5:26 p.m. American porn star and musician Sasha Grey, who has visisted Ukraine last March, expressed her support to Kyiv’s EuroMaidan protesters in her twitter. Her laconic tweet was “Stay strong Kiev!”, but it stirred the online community and caused many jokes along the lines of “Maidan was ordered to stand up till the end.” — Katya Gorchinskaya
Cinema and piano evening is planned in city hall
Dec. 14, 4:57 p.m. The
grand hall of Kyiv city hall will host a cinema evening at 7:30,
organized by the Revolutionary headquarters which runs the building
and the National cinema union. They will screen “Lessons in
Ukrainian” and “Commemoration” – two Ukrainian movies.
Moreover, a grand piano performance is planned. Musician Antuanetta
Mischan will play Ukrainian composers. The event is free and open for
public. —Katya Gorchinskaya
Police opened a criminal proceeding regarding document robbery in Kyiv city hall
Dec. 14, 4:37 p.m. Kyiv city police opened a case regarding document robbery in Kyiv city hall. Police received a phone call from Kyiv city hall representative who said some documents are missing, Ukrainska Pravda reports. Police is going to investigate the case. — Olena Goncharova
Lithuanian foreign minister brings ‘euromittens’ to Maidan
Dec. 14, 4:05 p.m. Foreign Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevicius visited Euromaidan in Kyiv on Saturday. “People in Maidan peaceful, calm but resolute and confident… Brings me back to Vilnius 23y ago,” he wrote on his Twitter page. He also wrote that he brought “euromittens from Lithuania to warm up Ukrainian hands and hearts” and posted a photo where he hands the mittens to protesters in Kyiv. — Interfax-Ukraine
Czech student leader from 1989 releases a video address in support of EuroMaidan
Dec. 14, 3:21 p.m. Šimon Pánek, who led the Czech student movement in 1989, released a video address in support of the Ukrainian student strikers and EuroMaidan. In his video, he says he has been watching the demonstrations in Ukraine for the past two weeks.He said students in his country managed to remove “the damn, old, rotten and lying regime to live normally in our country.”He said people in his country were struck at the brutality with which the authorities attempted to disperse the Maidan and inspired at how many people came out to resist it.”I am holding my fingers crossed for you and wish you to achieve what you want,” he said. —Katya Gorchinskaya
At Anti-Maidan, Azarov complains about oligarchs and their TV
Dec. 14, 3:21 p.m Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, while speaking in front of the pro-government meeting on Yevropeiska Square, complained that the voice of his government is not heard on TV. “Our voice, unfortunately, because oligarchs rule on TV channels, is heard very badly,” he said. — Katya Gorchinskaya
Sivkovych, Popov and two top officials of Kyiv police suspected of instigating violence on Maidan on Nov. 30
Dec. 14, 2:33 p.m. Public Prosecutor of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka said the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine have handed a notification on suspicion of abuse of power during the events at night on November 30, 2013 on the Maidan Square to Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Volodymyr Sivkovych, Head of Kyiv City Administration Oleksandr Popov, the then Head of Kyiv police Valeriy Koriak and Deputy Head of Kyiv police Petro Fedchuk. — Interfax-Ukraine
Thousands of pro-government activists gathered on European Square in Kyiv
Dec. 14, 1 p.m. Thousands of supporters of the ruling Party of Regions of Ukraine started a march from Arsenalna metro station toward European Square in Kyiv on Saturday morning to hold a rally in support of the Ukrainian leadership. The people are moving along Hrushevsky Street past the Verkhovna Rada building. People waving flags of the Party of Regions and state symbols have formed a chain in Mariyinsky Park and along Hrushevsky Street. — Interfax-Ukraine
More riot police coming to Kyiv for rotation, use of force not planned
Dec. 14, 12:10 p.m. The police is trying its best not to allow the violation of law during the mass rallies in Kyiv, Deputy Head of the Chief Investigation Department of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine Oleh Tatarov said. He said that more police are coming to Kyiv to carry out rotation. The policemen arrived are staying in the recreation centers in Kyiv.
“The police are doing everything not to allow the violation of law,” he said on the Shuster Live program in Kyiv on Friday, December 13.
He also confirmed the information that two tents are built outside the House of Officers which are used by the riot police to get a warm, food and medical aid. The law-enforcers are also staying in the House of Officers. — Interfax-Ukraine
US spent over $5 billion to assist Ukraine in country’s European Integration
Dec. 14, 11:57 a.m. U.S. Department of State came up with the answer on what steps has the U.S. taken to help Ukraine with its European integration. “We have been working closely with our European allies and partners to help Ukraine take the steps necessary to proceed along the path to European integration. Since
Ukraine’s independence in 1991, we have supported the Ukrainians as they built democratic skills and institutions, and promoted civic participation and good governance. We have spent over $5 billion to assist Ukraine in these and other goals that will ensure a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine.
In Fiscal Year 2013, we provided over $100 million of assistance to Ukraine in support of economic modernization, democratization, and other reforms to help Ukraine move down the path towards EU integration. Our programs that assist on customs, IPR enforcement, and border guards directly contribute to Ukraine meeting the level of standards required under the Association Agreement. Our support of judicial
reforms, especially on Ukraine’s newly adopted Criminal Procedure Code, similarly helps prepare Ukraine for deeper integration with the EU. Our
programs combating trafficking-in-persons also help Ukraine reach EU standards in this area.
We support Ukraine in its economic reform efforts and continue to urge the government of Ukraine to work in good faith with the IMF. Restoring macroeconomic stability in the context of an IMF arrangement would send a positive signal to private markets and would facilitate increased foreign direct investment that is so urgently needed in Ukraine. The longer Ukraine waits to address its vulnerabilities, the costlier it will be,” reads the statement.
Activists plan to picket The Defense Ministry, State Emergency Service
Dec. 14, 11:37 a.m. Anatoliy Grytsenko, former Defense Minister announced that the protesters are making columns and will picket The Defense Ministry in Kyiv. He calls on all the protesters and women especially to join the action, LigaBusinessInform reports.
Thousands of pro-government activists got accomodation at International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv
Dec. 14, 10:41 a.m. Sergiy Leshchenko, an Ukrainska Pravda journalist, said pro-government supporters were spotted near International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv, he wrote on his Facebook page. Around 40 buses with activists from Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk were seen there. — Olena Goncharova
Breakfast on Maidan
Dec. 14, 10:30 a.m. The night on Maidan was quiet, and there were about 7,000 people in the city center this morning. Volunteers served sandwiches and tea, while lawmakers, activists and singers continued to speak from the stage. — Interfax-Ukraine
Activists will form units to defend EuroMaidan activists, pro-government demonstrators to come to Kyiv
Dec. 14, 10:10 a.m. Ihor Lutsenko, Ukrainian civil activist and one of the EuroMaidan commandants announced from the stage on Maidan Nezalezhnosti that the activists will form the groups to defend protesters from provocateurs, EuroMaidan community reports on Facebook. Meantime, the Party of Region supporters have been gathering in a park in Mariinsky park in Kyiv. The number of buses with regime supporters were spotted in Kyiv’s suburbs, eyewitnesses said. — Olena Goncharova
US Senator John McCain to join pro-EU protesters in Kyiv
Dec. 14, 9:15 a.m. Republican Senator John McCain will head to Ukraine’s capital for the weekend ahead of fresh protests planned by opposition activists, Agence France-Presse reports. “Senator McCain is traveling to Kyiv to meet with government officials, opposition leaders and civil society as they work to determine their country’s future,” McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 13 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 12 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 11 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 10 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 9 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 8 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 7 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 6 events here.
Read the coverage of the Dec. 5 events here.
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.
