Retirees of the police force and other law enforcement agencies tried to storm the entrance to Verkhovna Rada on July 14, demanding higher state pensions.
Several hundred retirees protested to demand that their pensions are increased, chanting “shame.” They demanded to meet the representatives of the parliament, in particular, the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Dmitry Razumkov, but no one came out to talk to them.
Then, the protesters tried to break into the parliament building, where lawmakers were in session, but were stopped by the National Guard. Fighting occurred between protesters and the National Guard officers, but no casualties were reported.
Lawmakers weren’t allowed to leave the Verkhovna Rada building until the protesters left.
After a few clashes, law enforcement officers managed to push the protesters back and restore the fence around Rada.
In Ukraine, the minimum pension for law enforcement retirees is just Hr 1,769 ($65) monthly.
In the wake of the protest, the Cabinet of Ministers discussed the issue at the meeting on July 14.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the minimum pension for law enforcement retirees will be raised to Hr 3,854 ($140) a month, and they will start getting an additional bonus of Hr 2,000 monthly.
