Activists of the all-Ukrainian nationalistic association Freedom have held a protest demonstration near the Ukrainian presidential building in Kyiv against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia's ongoing visit to Ukraine.
About 30 Freedom members gathered near a fence that surrounds the
presidential building on Bankova Street. They held party flags and
several banners saying ‘Down with the Moscow occupiers’, ‘For a united
local Orthodox church with its center in Kyiv’ and ‘Down with the
Muscovite colonizer priest’.
Andriy Ilyenko, the leader of the Kyiv branch of Freedom, spoke to the crowd to explain the purpose of the demonstration.
Several policemen deployed at the site made sure that the protesters do not cross the cordoned area.
Freedom earlier planned to hold protests against Patriarch Kirill’s
visit near the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery on July 26 and on European
Square on July 27, but Kyiv District Administrative Court has banned
these actions.
In response to this, Freedom called on its activists to gather near the presidential administration building.
“We will ask the government why it is groveling before the Kremlin,” a Freedom activist said.
Meanwhile, a court ban on mass actions in the center of Kyiv remains
in effect until September 1. The ban was imposed on July 3, when
protesters against a new language policy bill gathered near the
Ukrainian House in the center of Kyiv.
