You're reading: Protesters seize more government offices; now have buildings in eight regional cities, plus Kyiv (UPDATE)

Overnight on Jan. 23-24, anti-government protesters took over Ukraine's Agricultural Ministry, the first national governmental building to be seized since EuroMaidan started more than two months ago. Protesters earlier took control of Kyiv city hall. Additionally, the Kyiv Post confirmed that four regional gubernatorial buildings were taken over today, bringing to eight the number controlled by protesters in the regions. 

They
are:
Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Lviv, Rivne, Khmelntysky and Sumy.

Cherkassy was taken over, but Berkut riot police later retook the
building. 

Attempts were also made in Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, and Poltava
where large demonstrations took place on Jan. 23-24. Demonstrators have also
taken to the streets in Uzhgorod, the capital of Zakarpattya Oblast and the
nation’s westernmost region.

President Viktor Yanukovych condemned
the actions in the regions, and police have started investigations into each public
building seizure and attempt.

The developments challenge the president’s
grip on power, said Timothy Ash, head of research for London’s Standard
Bank. They come amid a tense standoff in downtown Kyiv between anti-government
protesters and police that started on Jan. 19 and which have resulted in the
deaths of several demonstrators.

The political opposition on Jan. 23 broke
off negotiations with the president after both sides failed to reach a
compromise after two days of talks. They have demanded pre-term presidential
elections, the sacking of government, prosecution of officials who gave orders
to attack protesters and for the revocation of a set of bills passed on Jan. 16
that severely curb basic freedoms, including speech, assembly and
representation.

Kyiv Post editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected]. Kyiv Post intern Solomiya Zinevich contributed to this story.