Ukrainian riot police stand near a barricade operated by anti-government protesters at the site of clashes with riot police in Kiev on January 25, 2014. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko |
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Ukrainian Justice Minister Olena Lukash issued a televised statement Monday, threatening to seek a state of emergency if anti-government protesters did not vacate the Justice Ministry building seized Sunday night.
Protesters, concerned about the expanded governmental powers a state of emergency would grant, heeded the warning and left the building Monday. Protesters are also anxious about a Tuesday special parliamentary session that has been dubbed a "judgement day."
Protest leader Oleksandr Danylyuk announced via Facebook on Monday “If tomorrow the requirements are not met to restore constitutional order, organize presidential and parliamentary elections and stop the terror against the Ukrainian people, we will take over all administrative buildings."
The majority Party of Regions accused the opposition of attempting a coup, stating "Today, the very existence of an independent Ukraine is under threat."
"Euro Maidan" protests began in November 2013 following Yanukovych's announcement that Ukraine would not join the EU. Pro-EU rallies, led by the government opposition, have continued since November, with protesters voicing opposition to Ukraine's economic ties to Russia and demanding the removal of the government.
Violence escalated last week when three protesters were killed and more than 1,700 people injured between January 20 and January 22. Two of the protesters were shot to death, allegedly by police. A third person's body, reportedly bearing signs of torture, was found in a forest outside Kiev. That activist was believed to have been abducted days earlier.
Following the violence, the government offered concessions that included amending the January 16 anti-democratic legislation and convening a special parliamentary sessions. Opposition leaders rejected the president's offer of senior government positions, responding to the president: "The people decide our leaders, not you."
[CNN]
[New York Times]
