Kyiv residents came out in force on Oct. 2 to demand better management and better conditions in the capital.
The consolidated rally of over 40 urban initiatives, March for Kyiv, brought together many causes behind a common goal – a safer, more accountable and more comfortable city. According to the organizers, the demonstration attracted 10,000 people, while the Ozon civic monitoring group reported that there were around 2,500 participants.
“We were not heard separately, so we have united. Now our voice will sound strong and hard,” the organizers said in a statement. They added that Kyiv “suffers from the totalitarianism of developers and inaction of the authorities.”
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the participants gathered at Constitution Square, the site of the Ukrainian parliament. From there, they walked past the government building and the presidential office to arrive at the Kyiv City State Administration. They issued five consolidated demands for state and city governments:
- Stop the developers’ abuse of the city;
- Abandon the current city development plan through 2025 and make a new one;
- Reform the transportation and mobility infrastructures;
- Restore self-governance with city district councils that had been reduced;
- Ensure clean air and water for the city.
The organizers also developed a “Green Book” with over 100 demands from all the initiatives that participated in the march.
