Ukrainian opposition supporters rallying on Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) in central Kyiv to mark an anniversary of the Orange Revolution clashed with members of the Berkut special police task force on Tuesday evening.
The incident occurred after the protesters finished their rally on Freedom Day and moved along Khreschatyk Street toward Besarabska Square. When some of them attempted to walk off the pavement to the road, police forces lining up along the street started pushing them back.
Some of the protesters from the crowd crossed the street through an underpass and are returning toward Maidan. Opposition leaders are claiming through loudspeakers that they would hold a rally near the Independence Stele. The rally was originally planned exactly there, but a court had banned this.
The protesters are singing the Ukrainian national anthem and chanting, ‘Glory to Ukraine!’, ‘Revolution!’, ‘Freedom Cannot Be Stopped’ and other slogans.
The column is being led by activists from the Coalition of Orange Revolution Participants, some of them carrying flags of the Batkivschyna Party.
