People’s assembly held on Independence Square in Kyiv

Today at noon, about 500 people have gathered at the people’s assembly on the Independence Square in Kyiv, organized by a battalion of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the right revolutionary forces among others.

People continued coming during the day, the Human Rights Information Center correspondent reported. The assembly was started by the anthem of Ukraine and a moment of silence for the dead. While delivering the speech, MP Stepan Khmara stressed the need for carefully documenting the crimes and destruction in Donbas caused by Russia to deprive it of the right to vote at the UN Security Council. The MP also urged the journalists to describe the events taking place in eastern Ukraine as war, not the anti-terrorist operation (ATO).

Battalion commander Mykola Kokhanivsky urged to free Serhiy Boiko, member of the Brovary town council (Kyiv region), member of the Svoboda Party, who was arrested yesterday suspected of the involvement in the clashes on August 31.

Some assembly participants called to “topple criminal authorities”, including President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

At 16:00, some assembly participants went to free Serhiy Boiko, who is also a fighter of the UNO battalion. Passing by the Security Service of Ukraine, the people chanted “Freedom to political prisoners!” Later, the protesters came to the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv.

At 17:00, Serhiy Boiko was released following the court’s ruling. Giving the commentaries to the media, Boiko said that he could not leave the residence without permission of the investigator. He is charged under Article 294 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Riots”) over the clashes near the Parliament of Ukraine on August 31, 2015.

The organizers urged people to gather for the next assembly scheduled for November 29 as the activists from the regions were expected to come.  According to our correspondent, the people’s assembly put forward a claim to dismiss Yatsenyuk, Avakov, and Prosecutor General of Ukraine Shokin and pass the law on rehabilitation of political prisoners till November 29.

According to the Ukrayinska Pravda (Ukrainian Truth) online newspaper, about 100 activists gathered in Kherson to express the protest against the actions of the security forces during the conflict with the activists of the “civil blockade of Crimea” on November 21 near the destroyed power pylons.

Yesterday, November 21, the outraged activists did not allow holding the rock concert on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity on the Independence Square in Kyiv, having broken the fence in front of the stage. They explained their actions with the fact that the entertainments were planned virtually on the pavement, where their fellow Maidan protesters were killed. The banners of the Right Sector, the Automaidan could be seen on the square. The Aydar battalion fighters were also present on the square.

Photo credit: Viktoriia Naidonova, Human Rights Information Center