UKRAINE: Tens of thousands supporters of Ukraine's European integration gather in central Kiev to protest government's U-turn on EU.

Record ID: 214102

  • Title: UKRAINE: Tens of thousands supporters of Ukraine's European integration gather in central Kiev to protest government's U-turn on EU.
  • Date: 24th November 2013
  • Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 24, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF UKRAINE'S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION CARRYING GIANT EU FLAG DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING "DOWN WITH THE GANG" PAN FROM LENIN MONUMENT TO RIOT POLICE RIOT POLICE RIOT POLICE AROUND LENIN MONUMENT DEMONSTRATORS WALKING ON STREET BEHIND RIOT POLICE POLICE AROUND COMMUNISTS TENT SET UP BY LENIN MONUMENT DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING AT COMMUNISTS "SHAME, SHAME" DEMONSTRATORS TEARING TO PIECES COMMUNISTS' TENT MAN WIPING FEET ON PIECES OF COMMUNISTS TENT / DEMONSTRATORS WATCHING LENIN MONUMENT / PAN DOWN TO RIOT POLICE AND DEMONSTRATORS VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF UKRAINE'S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION WALKING THROUGH CENTRAL KIEV
  • Embargoed: 9th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: European Union,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2HG9LFNXSFKTPVWCH2MDUQUTD
  • Story Text: Tens of thousands of supporters of Ukraine's European integration flooded central Kiev on Sunday (November 24) to protest against the government's decision to drop plans to sign a landmark deal with the European Union in Vilnius on November 29 and to revive talks on ties with Russia.
    Holding giant EU flag demonstrators walked through streets of the Ukrainian capital towards the European square chanting "Europe, Europe" and "Down with the Gang".
    Large numbers of riot police have been deployed along the route of the opposition march, but it couldn't prevent pro-European activists from destroying a tent set up by Communists near the monument to Vladimir Lenin.
    At the same time thousands of the government supporters rallied on Mikhailovskaya square, less than a kilometer away from the European square - protest venue of their opponents.
    Yanukovich had been due to sign the agreement with the EU at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, but came under pressure by Russia, Ukraine's biggest trading partner and main source of gas, to back off the deal and join a Moscow-led customs union.
    No details have yet emerged of what deal was struck between Yanukovich and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on Friday savoured a diplomatic triumph over the 28-member western bloc.
    But it seemed certain that it involved economic benefits, including a cheaper price for gas, which Kiev has been seeking for four years, and possibly loans.
    The country of 46 million is heavily indebted and must find more than $17 billion next year to meet gas bills to Russia and debt repayments including $3.7 billion to the International Monetary Fund.
    The opposition, which has been accusing Yanukovich for weeks of preparing to pull out of the deal with the EU, saw his motivation in self-enrichment and his determination to secure a second term in power in 2015.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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