Demonstrators called for the government's ouster, and some of them
clashed with riot police, throwing traffic cones and other objects
at officers wearing gas masks and armed with rubber batons. The
opposition said that one protester was injured.
The scuffle follows a protest in the heart of Kiev Sunday that was
the biggest since the 2004 Orange Revolution that brought a
pro-Western government to power. Tens of thousands of people
protested against President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to snub a
potentially historic deal with the European Union and focus on ties
with Moscow, after immense pressure from Russia.
Yanukovych's government suddenly announced last week that it was
halting its plans to sign the political association and trade deal
with the 28-member EU in order to boost ties with Russia instead,
after several years of preparations and firm promises from
Yanukovych that he would sign it.
The government argues the Ukrainian economy would not survive a
trade war with Russia, after the Kremlin imposed restrictions on
Ukrainian exports, warning Kiev of a possible trade blockade if it
goes ahead with the EU deal
Kiev also blamed the International Monetary Fund for imposing
stringent conditions for a bailout loan to aid its struggling
economy. Another sticking point was the imprisonment of Yanukovych's
main foe, former premier and Orange Revolution heroine Yulia
Tymoshenko. Protests continued overnight, with demonstrators
camping out in tents on a central square. Round-the-clock rallies
are planned for the rest of the week in a bid to urge Yanukovych to
change his mind and sign the agreement at a summit in Lithuania on
Friday. But it is unclear how much patience the government will have
with the protesters. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov hinted that
authorities would not tolerate the kind of 24/7 sit-in that brought
Orange Revolution leaders to power in 2004.
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Yakunovych's office has not commented on the protests, but his ally
Azarov staunchly defended the turn toward Moscow Sunday evening. In
an interview with Ukraine's ICTV channel Azarov snubbed the economic
aid offered by the EU as "a pittance" and said that Moscow, by
contrast, has offered a discount for Russian natural gas imports,
which Ukraine has been seeking for several years.
Dozens of protesters were rallying on European Square in downtown
Kiev Monday morning, dancing to patriotic music blaring from
loudspeakers, hiding from rain under umbrellas and waving Ukrainian
and EU flags.
"I have been to Europe and seen how people live there. I want my
children and grandchildren to have a normal life," said Halyna
Polychuk, 50, a retired store manager who came to Kiev from the
western city of Ivano-Frankivsk to join the demonstrations.
[Associated
Press; MARIA DANILOVA]
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