Protesters set up fresh barricades in Kiev's main square
Ukrainian police have pulled back after an overnight confrontation in which they attempted to remove barricades and tents from a protest camp.
KIEV
Anti-government protestors ward off sub zero temperatures in Kiev’s main Independence Square Wednesday night by drinking soup warmed up on the fires they set up in empty barrels as the demonstrations enter the fourth week.
Barricades of wood, litter and any other loose materials were re-assembled after being cleared by security forces who stormed into the protest sites Tuesday night, causing clashes with protesters who vowed to remain on the square until New Year’s Eve if necessary.
Protestors also listen to songs by 2004 Eurovision song contest winner Ruslana, who has voiced her support for the protests.
Meanwhile, the opposition, following a call for a dialogue by country’s president Victor Yanukovych, say they will not start talks with the government unless their demands are met. These include resignation of the government, release of political prisoners and action against those who used violence during the now-three-week-old protests.
Pro-European Udar Party, headed by Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, said Wednesday night that if the government thinks the protesters will leave the square they are wrong.
Former interior minister Yuri Lutsenko accuses the opposition of planning to escalate the tensions, which are already running high, with demonstrations at the weekend. PM Nikolai Azarov said in a statement that rumors suggesting fresh police intervention were not true.
The anti-government protests began three weeks ago when Ukrainian President Victor Yanukhovych angered many Ukrainians by refusing to sign an agreement that would strengthen cooperation with the European Union.
Approximately 45 % of Ukrainians prefer closer ties with the EU but around 30 % want to keep historic and strong economic ties with Russia.
In the west of Ukraine, a great part of which was never ruled by the Russian Empire, many individuals would like to be part of Europe and distance themselves from Russia. People of western Ukraine who were led by their Polish rulers until the USSR invasion in 1939 see the EU as a chance to distance their country from corruption and fraudulent elections associated, they say, with Russia and to start a more democratic way of living.
An EU agreement would have opened borders to trade and set the stage for modernization and inclusion, protesters say. They accuse Yanukovych of preparing to take the country into a Moscow-led customs union.
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