Editor's Note: Anti-government EuroMaidan demonstrations began in Ukraine on Nov. 21, triggered by President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to abandon closer ties with the European Union in favor of Russia, which in December offered him a $15 billion bailout and 33 percent discount on imported natural gas. The demonstrations turned deadly on Jan. 22, when at least three protesters were killed by gunshot during a police assault on the crowd. The standoff remains on Hrushevskoho Street near Dynamo Stadium, on Independence Square in Kyiv and the protests have spread throughout the nation.
Live coverage from Hromadske TV
Yatseniuk says protesters will remain in many government buildings
Feb. 16, 9:18 p.m. — Batkivshchyna Party leader Arseniy Yatseniuk issued a press release saying that a working group of parliamentarians will ensure that the amnesty law is obeyed and that all protesters detained because of peaceful EuroMaidan demonstrations will be released with no criminal charges brought against them.
Moreover, even though the opposition activists will return Kyiv City Hall to government control, Yatseniuk called on anti-government EuroMaidan activists to remain on Independence Square. He also said the movement will keep control of the Trade Unions building, October Palace and Ukrainian House — all in the center, not far from each other — to help continue staging protests. — Olena Gocharova
Batkivshchyna Party’s Arsen Avakov says Pshonka’s amnesty offer not good enough
Feb. 16, 8:55 p.m. — A leading opposition member of parliament, Arsen Avakov, says that General Prosecutor Viktor Pshonka’s offer of amnesty is not good enough because it does not apply to AutoMaidan activists — who have riled authorities with their car caravan protests outside officials’ homes — and that the amnesty only includes the Dec. 27 – Feb. 2 period. Avakov participated in four hours of talks with Pshonka, joined by Batkivshchyna Party leader Arseniy Yatseniuk and Svoboda Party leader Oleh Tiahnybook.
But Avakov says protesters do not plan to reoccupy Kyiv City Hall.
Avakov said that compromise is necessary on part of the opposition to reach an agreement with the authorities.
Ruling Party of Regions member of parliament Volodymyr Olinyk said he’s happy that the opposition and government found a compromise. He said that all protesters detained, either in jail or by house arrest, will be released soon. — Olena Goncharova
Pshonka says criminal cases will be closed after only court review
Feb. 16, 8:28 p.m. — General Prosecutor Viktor Pshkonka said at a televised press conference after 8 p.m. that prosecutors will seek court review of charges against all detained protesters between Dec. 27 and Feb. 2. This does not mean the 268 charged protesters — including some who are in jail and others detained by house arrest — will be released immediately, raising the prospect that the opposition may reoccupy Kyiv City Hall.
A statement by the prosecutor stated: “In connection with this publication the aformentioned law comes into effect as of Feb. 17 and foresees feeing from criminal responsibility and punishment of the persons who between Dec. 27 and Feb 2 committed crimes listed in article 1 of this law, the closure of criminal cases and freeing from administrative responsibility of the persons against whom administrative arrest is envisaged.”
The prosecutor recognized protesters did enough to meet the conditions of the amnesty law, but said a court review of each case is required by law. — Katya Gorchinskaya and Olena Goncharova
Pshonka says protesters have met conditions for amnesty
Feb. 16, 8 p.m. — General Prosector Viktor Pshonka said in a statement that protesters have fulfilled the conditions for amnesty law to apply. Besides vacating Kyiv City Hall, protesters were required to unblock Hrushevskoho Street, the scene of a deadly standoff since Jan. 19 between police and protesters.
A crowd of dozens of opposition activists remained outside Kyiv City Hall, waiting for Pshonka’s official announcement that he would close 108 criminal cases against all protesters — some 268. Pshonka was expected to make the announcement about 8 p.m. about how the amnesty law would work. But the crowd outside the besieged City Hall — which has been controlled by the opposition since Dec. 1 — told Channel 5 that they didn’t trust that the government would close the cases, a condition for the opposition to vacate City Hall.
If the cases aren’t close, EuroMaidan activists vowed to retake the building.
Earlier, EuroMaidan reported that Volodymur Makeyenko, head of the city administration, confirmed the transfer of the building back to city authorities. — Katya Gorchinskaya and Olena Goncharova
Opposition not satisfied with chief prosecutor Pshonka
Feb. 16, 2:39 p.m. — It is clear that the government will have to compromise more if they want to end the standoff with EuroMaidan protesters and defuse the nation’s three-month-old political crisis. Opposition leaders called on Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka to close all the criminal cases against the EuroMaidan activists. Opposition leader Arseniy Yatseniuk also listed the main tasks for the upcoming week: a peaceful strike on Feb. 18, restoration of the 2004 Constitution (that lessens presidential powers and strengthens parliamentary ones) and formation of a EuroMaidan opposition governement as an alternative. — Olena Goncharova
Hrushevskoho Street is getting cleared as police, protesters leave
Feb. 16, 2:29 p.m. — The scene of the violent standoffs between police and protesters appears to be getting cleaned up. Police have retreated to the Cabinet of Ministers building up the hill on Hrushevshoho Street while the militant protesters have also pulled back from the standoff near European Square. At least four protesters died in police attacks on the crowd, including three who were shot to death on Jan. 22. Protesters and police started the tense confrontation on Jan. 19, after a militant crowd charged towards the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, after a Sunday rally to protest the adoption of anti-speech and anti-protest laws rammed through parliament that week. Bulldozers were scene cleaning the area. It’s a big job ahead, since some of the barricades include burned-out police vans and tires. Kyiv Post staff photographer Kostyantyn Chernichkin is on the scene with a photo story to come later. — Brian Bonner and Christopher J. Miller
Rally ends at 2 p.m., Yatseniuk speaks
Feb. 16, 2 p.m. — The main party of the rally ended at 2 p.m. with the singing of the Ukrainian national anthem. Opposition Batkivshchyna Party leader Arseniy Yatseniuk said police are backing off Hrushevskoho Street to the Cabinet of Ministers building. “They step back,” Yatsdeniuk said, while the activists burst into applause. “Now we need to get rid of corrupt government. It’s not revenge.”
Yatseniuk, touted as a potential compromise candidate for prime minister, last week visited imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in her Kharkiv prison last week. He said that Tymoshenko is sure the Ukrainian people will win. “Tymoshenko shared our plan with us and we’re unanimous to approve it,” Yatseniuk said.
On Feb. 17, Ukrainian opposition leaders will go to Berlin to visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “We don’t need talk, we need action,” Yatseniuk said. In Berlin, Yatseniuk said, the opposition will focus on these key demands: “We need a visa-free regime, financial assistance from the European Union, investment, as we need new jobs to appear and the reform of judicial and law enforcement system. Ukraine needs to be a member of the European family sooner or later.”
Yatseniuk also suggested he would not be prime minister unless he gets real power.
“Viktor Yanukovych thought I will accept his offer to head the country’s government. You can’t buy me, Mr. President,” Yatseniuk said. — Olena Goncharova
Tiahnybok focuses on Feb. 18 parliament session
Feb. 16, 1:58 p.m. — Svoboda Party opposition leader Oleh Tiahnybok brought a Lithuanian flag to the EuroMaidan stage. “Vilnius is a special city for us. They supported Ukrainian people in their struggle, they treat our activists. We need to change the rotten government we have in Ukraine,” Tiahnybok said. “People should have the power to dismiss judges. People need to control the power. And the most important day for us will come on Tuesday (Feb. 18) when the Ukrainian parliament will hold its session. e need to gather here on Maidan on Feb. 18 at 8 a.m. We’ll form columns and go to the building of Verkhovna Rada,” Tiahnybok said.
The opposition is hoping to change the constitution to less presidential powers and strengthen parliamentary ones.
“We (our three opposition factions) will do everything in Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday to vote for the Constitution 2004 to be renewed,” Tiahnybok. Tiahnybok said most Svoboda Party deputies are now working in eastern Ukrainian oblasts. They will share “truthful information” there. He calls on everyone to join this initiative. –– Olena Goncharova
Crowd wants Afghan veterans involved in settlement
Feb. 16, 1:55 p.m. — Anti-governmental protesters on Independence Square unanimously agreed that Afghan war veterans should become a third party in negotiations between opposition and the government. — Olena Goncharova
Opposition Svoboda Party reoccupies Kyiv City Hall
Feb. 16, 1:50 p.m. — As another major Sunday rally got under away, opposition Svoboda Party activists kept control of Kyiv City Hall, saying that General Prosecutor Viktor Pshonka missed a noon deadline for dropping criminal charges against all activists who were arrested and detained since the start of the Nov. 21 anti-government EuroMaidan protests. Masked men in camouflage fatigues and helmets with clubs baseball bats and truncheons are entering premises.
Journalists were asked their identification documents at the door before being let inside a lobby area, but then were blocked from going further by masked men in camouflage. One guard said it’s not clear who is controlling City Hall at the moment, but it’s clearly not the President Viktor Yanukovych administration. Svoboda Party, led by member of parliament Oleh Tiahnybok, who commands a 32-seat faction in parliament, said it would relinquish control of City Hall — occupied since Dec. 1 — only if criminal charges are dropped against all protesters. — Mark Rachkevych and Brian Bonner
Masked men chase three police officers, beat one
Feb. 16, 1:06 p.m. Masked men beat and chased down three police officers walking down Khreshchatyk Street near Kyiv City Hall. The political affiliation was unclear. A group of 50 followed them, yelling “dostali” (we’ve had enough). One man hit an officer on the back with a club. He fell. Then 3-4 started kicking him. The other two were chased. Others intervened to stop the attackers. Officers walked away under guard of other masked men and did not look injured. But they did look scared and had red faces. — Mark Rachkevych
Crowd wants Afghan war veterans involved in negotiations
Feb. 16, 1 p.m. — Anti-governmental protesters on Independence Square unanimously agreed that Afghan war veterans should become a third party in negotiations between opposition and the government. — Olena Goncharova
Expat rally turns out only 10 people
Feb. 16, 12 p.m. — What was hoped to be a big show of support for EuroMaidan among expatriates living in Ukraine had a small turn out . Only 10 people, including nine expatriates, followed the call for a rally in Shevchenko Park to bear their national flags. The crowd included two British, an Estonian, an Irish, a Canadian and an Italian in a show of support of Euromaidan. They walked to Independence Square to join the main demonstration. –– Mark Rachkevych.
