UKRAINE: Protesters mourn those killed in clashes as coffins arrive in Independence Square

Record ID: 214184

  • Title: UKRAINE: Protesters mourn those killed in clashes as coffins arrive in Independence Square
  • Date: 21st February 2014
  • Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (FEBRUARY 21, 2014) (REUTERS) ***NIGHT SHOTS*** (CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY) CROWD ON INDEPENDENCE SQUARE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING COFFIN THROUGH CROWD PEOPLE PUTTING COFFIN IN FRONT OF STAGE OPPOSITION LEADERS KNEELING ON STAGE, PRAYING CROWD WITH LIGHTERS ANOTHER COFFIN BROUGHT IN FRONT OF STAGE OPPOSITION LEADERS KNEELING ON STAGE, PRAYING MORE COFFINS IN FRONT OF STAGE OPPOSITION LEADERS KNEELING ON STAGE, PRAYING CROWD ON INDEPENDENCE SQUARE
  • Embargoed: 8th March 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA7KE3J8PJUNCTAZBSBBE4NXHSO
  • Story Text: Crowds of people in Kiev's Independence square mourned the protesters killed in clashes as coffins with dead bodies were passed through the crowd on Friday night (February 21).
    Battles between police and anti-government protesters brought the death toll to 75 in two days of the worst violence in the country since Soviet times.
    Three hours of fierce fighting in Kiev's Independence Square, which was recaptured by the protesters, left the bodies of over 20 civilians strewn on the ground, a short distance from where President Viktor Yanukovich was meeting the EU delegation.
    On Friday, activists carried coffins with dead bodies through the crowd and laid them in front of the stage where opposition leaders kneeled to mourn the deaths.
    People in crowd lit up lighters and phones as the priest on stage read out prayers.
    Ukraine's opposition leaders signed an EU-mediated peace deal with President Viktor Yanukovich on Friday, aiming to resolve a political crisis in which scores have been killed and opening the way for an early presidential election this year.
    Under pressure to quit from mass demonstrations in Kiev, Russian-backed Yanukovich made a series of concessions to pro-European opponents, including a national unity government and constitutional change to reduce his powers, as well as bringing forward the poll.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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