Riot police deployed in Kyiv, Yanukovych pledges compromise

[FarCenter]

By late Monday afternoon, reports emerged that police had encircled protest camps, dispersed demonstrators and stormed the main opposition party's headquarters. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian riot police in full gear had taken up position outside of Kyiv's city hall. The move came in the hours following a mass protest attended by several hundred thousand people calling for the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych.

It was not immediately known how many demonstrators remained on Kyiv's Independence Square by the time that riot police had arrived on Monday. Previous estimates regarding the total number of protesters have varied, with the opposition putting it at 500,000 people. Separate observers put the figure close to 300,000.

The news agency DPA reported that police also closed a subway station in the downtown area. The report added that the Interior Ministry had begun threatening to bring charges against protesters if they broke the law.

http://www.dw.de/riot-police-deployed-in-kyiv-yanukovych-pledges-compromise/a-17280647

[dipsydoodle]

1. What is noticeable at the protests in their cold icy weather,

currently -8c, is the complete absense of the Femen girls considering they are Ukraine based.

Shame that.

[pampango]

2. Gotta agree with you there. Still, it's impressive that several hundred thousand

have been protesting for many days in that weather.

[stevenleser]

5. The last Femen folks left Ukraine in August/September

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FEMEN#Criminal_cases_against_the_organization

[pampango]

3. Ukraine Raids Party’s Office and Encircles Protesters

Even as Ukraine’s besieged president on Monday said he would be open to talks with protest leaders, the situation on Kiev’s streets took on an ominous tone, with security forces raiding an opposition party’s headquarters and beginning to push on the edges of a continuing mass demonstration.

After seeming to lose control of Kiev on Sunday night after a huge rally of hundreds of thousands of people in Independence Square, police forces redeployed on Monday and began efforts to push protesters out of streets near main government buildings. Battalions of police officers moved in and took up positions just outside the square’s perimeter.

“We saw on the Internet today some statement about the round table,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said. “We would like to start by saying that it is very difficult to fit a round table into a square сell.”

He added: “We understood that this is the way Yanukovich invites us to the round table — a few thousands of Interior forces have arrived already, and I received a summon for interrogation from the General Prosecution Office.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/world/europe/ukraine-unrest.html?hpw&rref=world&_r=0

[FarCenter]

4. Police begin forcing Ukraine's pro-EU protesters from central Kyiv

Ukrainian security forces have moved in on pro-EU demonstrators. By Monday evening, reports emerged that police had encircled protest camps, dispersed demonstrators and stormed the main opposition party's headquarters.

http://www.dw.de/police-begin-forcing-ukraines-pro-eu-protesters-from-central-kyiv/a-17281890