Opponents of the bill on principles of the state language policy passed by the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday, July 3, clashed last night with commandos from the special police task force Berkut near the Ukrainian House in the center of Kyiv, where Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych plans to give a press conference on July 4.
About 500 people protested against the bill, which, in particular,
broadens the official use of the Russian language in the country.
The protesters planned to stay near the Ukrainian House until
Wednesday morning, when Yanukovych’s press conference is expected to
start. However, about 200 Berkut troops arrived at the site on Tuesday
evening and tried to disperse the protesters.
Sporadic clashes between the protesters and the police continued all
night, and tear gas was used at one moment. The Kyiv police department
claimed that unidentified people wearing masks sprayed some substance
against Berkut troops during the clashes. The protesters insisted that
tear gas was used by police.
None of the protesters were detained, the city police said.
Among the protesters were parliamentarians Arseniy Yatseniuk, Mykola Martynenko, and Volodymyr Yavorivsky.
The city police told Interfax-Ukraine later that the conflict between
the opponents of the new language law and Berkut troops had been
settled.
