Police Beat Peaceful Protesters in Ukraine
Police have forcefully dispersed hundreds of protesters in Kiev, Ukraine about 04:30 (02:30 GMT) on Saturday. According to the victims, police used truncheons and tear gas. Women, old people and other peacefull protesters were beaten even when they were lying down on earth. Some witnesses and victims of beating ran away from Maidan (aka Independence Square, the central square of Kyiv where the protests had been held) to a nearby church - Myhailivskyi Monastery. Some of them were bleeding, so ambulance took them to the hospitals.
The first photo of people hiding inside the Myhailivskyi Monastery, police seen through the gates. MP Lesia Orobets says "the last time Ukrainians were hiding from someone in churches was during Mongol attacs" (this is also true for the time of the World War II). There is at least two confirmed messages from governing party deputies: they leave the Party of Regions (President and the Prime-minister are its leaders). At the same time, there is an unconfirmed information about the head of President's office Serhey Liovochkin resignation. At least his wife Zinaida was seen at the protest the day before. She also wrote a dissapproving message about the attack on peaceful protesters.
Andriy Shevchenko, a memeber of Parliment, says there were 33 protesters arrested in the local police department. Opposition MPs helped them to get out (all released already).
Activists call for people to come and protest massively on Sunday, 12:00. Meanwhile, internet-users created to petition the Obama administararion to impose personal sanctions on President of Ukraine Yanukovych and Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
А general mobilization of Ukrainian militia was proclaimed. Every policeman has to be ready. In spite of that many military persons refuse to attend what government orders. A lot of them wrote an application about their discharge.
Also, Lviv and Kyiv special units Berkut refused to fight their own mates. They decided to dress civil clothes and protect citizens. So Burkut and titushky (athletic men who provoke public activists) were driven from other regions of Ukraine, for example Donetsk and Crimea.
Lviv is preparing to a battle. In Kyiv many people provoke not to go to Mykhailivska square where real Maidan now stands but to join other meetings.
Many people cannot call each other. There are machines which block communication.
Oppositional parties ask people to go to Maidan tomorrow.
President Yanukovych is going to visit China. Premiere-minister say that prosecutors will begin investigation on Maidan dills.
Kolomyia town council proclaimed general strike. Portraits of Yanukovych were banned from administration of the town of Kalush. Ternopil mayor Serhiy Nadal called inhabitants to go to Kyiv on the meeting. Previously Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyy expressed his support to the pro-EU rallies. As we've written before, Lviv policemen refused to attacked their own mates, so Burkut from other cities was driven.
Berkut (special units of the Ukrainian police) from Lviv refused to crash Maidan in Lviv and to fight its own citizens. So buses with military forces arrive from unknown regions. People are shocked. Security tries to expel retired people and *****ren from Lviv Euromaidan. Most likely, Lviv Maidan will be crashed like Kyiv one. All the roads from Lviv, Lutsk and some other cities are blocked.
As our sources from militia tell, government ordered to mobilize all policemen who are in the country.
