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'Dozens' wounded as Ukraine police break up rally

The protestors gathered in Kiev to call for the president’s ouster after he failed on an EU deal.

DOZENS OF PROTESTERS were wounded in Ukraine’s capital early today when police brutally dispersed demonstrators calling for President Viktor Yanukovych’s ouster after he failed to salvage an EU deal, a lawmaker and a witness said.

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A protester receives medical help in ambulance after violence at the rally. Pic: AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov

“The Maidan has been brutally mopped up,” opposition lawmaker Andriy Shevchenko said on Twitter, referring to Kiev’s central Independence Square, the site of the rally and epicentre of the country’s 2004 Orange Revolution.

Dozens wounded, dozens arrested. Ukraine has not seen anything like this before.

A rally of some 10,000 protesters led by top opposition leaders like world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko called last night for Yanukovych to step down after he refused to sign a key political and free trade deal with the European Union at a summit in Vilnius.

Around 1,000 protesters remained on the square overnight and riot police moved in around 4am local time (2am GMT), hitting the protesters with batons and pushing them from the square, according to a witness.

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Two women at the protest. Pic: AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov

“We danced, jumped and cried out peaceful slogans,” said one demonstrator, Maria Chalykh.

“The started beating everyone indiscriminately. They beat everyone, the elderly, girls, even a child. His entire face was covered in blood,” the 17-year-old student told AFP. “Everyone shouted, cried, some people fainted”

Chalykh said that the Berkut riot police dragged people, kicked them and swore at them. She herself lost consciousness and came to in an ambulance, she said.

The organisers of the rally set up a first aid station outside a church in the city centre.

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A rally in support of the President early yesterday. Pic: AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Hundreds of riot police were deployed around the square in the run-up to Friday’s rally, heightening tensions on day six of mass rallies against Yanukovych’s decision to scrap the EU deal under Russian pressure.

Opposition leaders had warned their supporters the authorities might resort to force and provocations to disperse the demonstration.

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Ukrainian riot police officers detain an activist during the rally. Pic: AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov

The US ambassador in Ukraine has since condemned what he said was the use of violence against peaceful protesters after riot police brutally dispersed an opposition protest in central Kiev, reportedly wounding several dozen people.

“Still working to understand what happened, but obviously condemn the violence against peaceful demonstrators,” Geoffrey Pyatt said on Twitter. “Will have more to say.”

- © AFP, 2013

Photographs

Read: Ukraine: Jailed opposition leader goes on hunger strike as protests continue>

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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Nov 30th 2013, 10:42 AM

    The people of Ukraine, particularly western Ukraine, feel like they’ve had their future stolen from them by Yanukovich and Putin. They’re right. These protests are about the existential future of the country and whether it turns west to Europe or east once more to Russia.

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    Mute sean t bugger
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    Nov 30th 2013, 10:58 AM

    Spot on ferg. Been there many times. They need visa to go anywhere outside Ukraine. Average job is 300 a month. They want the same freedoms and chances we have.

    Why don’t we protest like this? ?? Silly boy nieve boy. We collectively through national greed got ourselves in this mess. Sure bankers were horrifically horrible b@stards but it was property sellers wanting more and more. People living on credit. Ourselves to blame and we know it and we know we have to pay the piper and live with the hangover.

    So that’s why. No more of this uneducated why dont we protest drivel. We don’t cos we know we are to blame.

    Oh and alot of good its done for the Greeks.

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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Nov 30th 2013, 11:09 AM

    Yup. You’re on the money yourself. Ukraine is a Second World disaster zone (literally in parts, thanks to Chernobyl). Ireland is not. Different circumstances, different protests. Walking down the street with a placard is not a righteous act in and of itself.

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    Mute al shamen
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    Nov 30th 2013, 11:38 AM

    You do know that ethnic Russians who naturally feel a close affinity with the country of Russia make up a large percentage of ‘The people of Ukraine’ don’t you?

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    Mute Coddler O Toole
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    Nov 30th 2013, 11:59 AM

    Sean, all 6 of the Irish banks collapsed in 2008 because they speculated massively and greedily on commercial property. This collapse and subsequent suicidal bailout triggered a deep rececesion which now sees hundreds of thousands unemployed and unable to pay the inflated mortgages they took on to house themselves for the most part. These people played no part in the economic collapse so please don’t presume to admit guilt on their behalf.

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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Nov 30th 2013, 12:06 PM

    Ukraine is bifurcated between an ethnically Ukrainian west and an ethnically Russian east. It’s like Belgium only a DISASTER.

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    Mute Linda ralph
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    Nov 30th 2013, 12:19 PM

    Idiot

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    Mute Linda ralph
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    Nov 30th 2013, 12:21 PM

    That was for sean

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    Mute sean t bugger
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    Nov 30th 2013, 4:01 PM

    Whatever. But yes our disaster was collectively our fault. Selling your house in 07 damn it I want 500k although I paid 50k in 80s no wont accept 490 damn it lets push it to 550.

    Developers made huge money off our greed and the banks lending more encouraged our grees for their profits. Its all greed.

    Mind you in Ukraine in kyiv and the west its anti Russian they after all caused a famine. But one corrupt country. Justice for those who can afford it huge class differences. So refrain from input unless you have idea what your talkung about as clearly you don’t.

    Ta ta

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    Mute Philip Kenna
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    Nov 30th 2013, 10:59 AM

    Looks like mother Russia pushed some buttons.

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    Mute Aireach
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    Nov 30th 2013, 11:53 AM

    The over zealous expansion of the “EU” has to stop somewhere. Ukraine has never been historically,politically or culturally associated with western europe.

    Where do you draw the line?

    The EU doesnt need another basket case country on its books. It’s full of them already.

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    Mute Aunty Simmonite
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    Nov 30th 2013, 10:58 AM

    Yanukovych’s decision to scrap the EU deal was because he thought that the price of entry to the EU was too high. He must have been thinking of Greece.Maybe Spain or Italy or even ,dare I say it, Ireland.

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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Nov 30th 2013, 11:11 AM

    I beg your pardon? He wanted hundreds of millions euro more in loans than had been offered. It was a combination of blackmail and bowing to Russian pressure. I hope they get lot of cheap gas because they ain’t gonna get nothing else out of this shabby deal with Moscow. Maybe Putin will let them keep the Crimea.

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    Mute al shamen
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    Nov 30th 2013, 11:40 AM

    Cheap gas is rather important in a country which suffers long and extremely harsh winters.

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    Mute Anna Taranova
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    Dec 1st 2013, 1:27 AM

    Absolutely not. He is thinking just about his own wealth and his safety, guaranteed by Russia. He is facing impeachment now, and use force to avoid this.

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    Mute Stephen Barry
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    Nov 30th 2013, 10:37 AM

    Protests, rally’s could the journal translate these words for Irish people please.

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    Mute Kris O Kay Kay
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    Nov 30th 2013, 11:40 AM

    Does the Ukraine want to join the EU or have closer cooperation? What is the reason for the protests?

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    Mute Aunty Simmonite
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    Nov 30th 2013, 12:23 PM

    You may not have heard of Mr.Barroso before but he is an unelected Portuguese Maoist who pulls more strings than our beloved Enda who actually was elected. Then we have the other muppet Van Rompuy and if he and Barroso are upset then Yanukovych must be right.

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    Mute Aunty Simmonite
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    Nov 30th 2013, 12:10 PM

    “The times for limited sovereignty are over in Europe,” Mr Barroso said

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    Mute Kenneth
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    Nov 30th 2013, 12:24 PM

    That’s how to deal with low life’s

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    Mute Vladimir Kalugin
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    Nov 30th 2013, 7:27 PM

    What the Journal doesn’t say is that the people who want Ukrainian assosiation with the Europe rather than Russia, are the absolute minority. Historicaly there is a group of people in the west, who hate Russia, whose fathers were close to poles; who later were fighting at Hitlers side during the war, and who pass this hatred to their children..Fk them..The majority of population see better future close to Russia..If you go to eastern part of Ukraine, you won’t even here Ukrainian languege, everyone speaks Russian..And lets be honest, Europe absolutely doen’t need Ukraine with it’s problems..

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    Mute Vladimir Kalugin
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    Nov 30th 2013, 7:36 PM

    And by the way, Ukraine played major part and had a good place in Russian Empire and in Soviet Union, when, if it would join Europe, it would just become colonial appendix, like baltic countries and others..

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    Mute Anna Taranova
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    Dec 1st 2013, 1:30 AM

    Vladimir, you are wrong. Majority of people in Ukraine wants to move to EU side, not Russia. You will see soon yourself this “minority”.

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    Mute Vladimir Kalugin
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    Dec 1st 2013, 11:37 AM

    I am seeing them and hearing them the last years..Fools, that don’t even understand that are being used..Tell me, what good did the “Orange” revolution brought to Ukraine, when they came to rule?
    Ukrainian government turned into circus, war criminals became heroes, and Russians from being friends, became enemies..did Ukraine prosper from it?..
    Now the same people want Eurointegration, even though countless number of economists said that Uraine’s economy will only loose from it..up to complete defolt..As i said, look at baltic countries..how it ended up for them..
    But If you are so eager to become western puppets, separate Lviv, make Klicko the president, and welcome to the sinking ship;)

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