Thousands of protesters rallied, clashed with police, and then set up more than 50 tents near the Verkhovna Rada building on Oct. 17, demanding the creation of an anti-corruption court, the lifting of lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution and a more fair electoral law.
Large numbers of police gathered later in the evening, and at one point started to disperse the tent camp by force, but they stopped and withdrew after 5-10 minutes.
The rally is one of the biggest demonstrations since the 2013-2014 EuroMaidan Revolution and the first large-scale protest tent camp since 2014. The police estimated the turnout at 6,000, while protest leaders put the figure at 10,000.
Under the protesters’ pressure, the Rada scheduled consideration of the electoral law and lawmakers’ immunity for Oct. 19. The protesters have pledged to camp out in front of the Rada until the vote.
The police clashed with activists of ex-Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s Movement of New Forces when they unsuccessfully tried to block them from bringing tents from their office to the Rada. Law enforcers also scuffled with protesters near the Rada as rally participants tried to break down a fence set up by the police.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian veterans of Russia’s war against Ukraine from the Donbas volunteer battalion took about 30 unattended police schields piled on a pavement and formed cordons to block a nearby street and protect protesters from the police. The veterans, who have often taken part in protests, acted in a way similar to the former EuroMaidan self-defense units, providing security for demonstrators.
Donbas veterans also took over one of the police fences, turning it into a barricade and pushing away some of the police.
Most of the time the police stood calmly by and did not prevent demonstrators from establishing tents and blocking streets.
Saakashvili said at the rally that Poroshenko should resign if he fails to meet the protesters’ demands.
“As long as Poroshenko is in power, there will be no progress and no fight against corruption, and there will be poverty, humiliation and emigration,” Saakashvili said. “Four years after the EuroMaidan the truth should finally prevail over lies – that is, we should triumph over Poroshenko.”
The rally was attended by members of numerous political forces and civil society groups: the Movement of New Forces, Batkivshchyna, Svoboda, National Corps, Samopomich, AutoMaidan, Reanimation Package of Reforms, and others.
