2014 Hrushevsky Street protests

The 2014 Hrushevskoho Street Riots are an ongoing series of demonstrations and rioting in central Kiev that began on January 19 2014 on Hrushevskoho Street, outside of Dynamo Stadium and adjacent to the ongoing Euromaidan protests. The riots were a response to the Dictatorship Laws which were announced on January 16 (Black Thursday) and enacted on January 21.

Hrushevskoho Street Riots
Part of Euromaidan
Protester walks near burning police vehicles
Date	26 March 2011
Location	Kiev
Goals	Repeal of Dictatorship Laws; ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych
Methods	Rioting, protesting
Status	Ongoing
Parties
Pravyi Sector movement Ukraine police, including Berkut riot police and Internal Troops of Ukraine
Casualties and losses
1500+injured, 13 arrested, 2 missing 57 Internal Troops servicemen injured

Events

January 19

200,000 activists protest against the anti-protest laws on 19 January in Kiev

On 19 January, another Sunday mass protest, the ninth in a row, took place gathering up to 200,000 in central Kiev to protest the new anti-protest laws, dubbed the "Dictatorship laws". The rally was attended by oppositon leaders, but was also the first public appearance of Tetiana Chornovol since her alleged attack by the authorities. Many protesters defied the face concealment ban by donning party masks, while others wore hard hats and gas masks. AutoMaidan leader Dmytro Bulatov demanded a single oppositional candidate be named, and the crowd also chanted against leaders to comply with this action. Batkivshchyna leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleksandr Turchynov declared that a new, alternative parliament would be created.

Radically oriented protesters throwing Molotov cocktails in direction of Interior troops positions. Dynamivska str. Euromaidan Protests. Events of Jan 19, 2014-5

Euromaidan activists appealed to the military for its "solemn allegiance to the Ukrainian people" rather than the "criminal regime", and for members of the military and police to not carry out criminal orders, namely in the use of force against civilians; they assured those who would be fired for refusing orders of violence would be reinstated once a new government for Ukraine is installed. FormerUkrainian Navy chief, Rear Admiral Ihor Tenyukh, who was removed by President Yanukovych in 2010, warned of the dangers posed by the "coup d'etat planned by the current authorities" and called for members of the armed forces to defy "illegal" orders from those in power. "Tomorrow the regime will enslave you too. Therefore we are calling on you to fulfil your military oath of loyalty to the Ukrainian people and not to the authorities who have gone off the rails," he was quoted as saying. Clashes erupted as thousands descended upon parliament via Hrusehvskoho Street, and were met by police cordons, and a blockade of military cars, mini-vans and buses. Police warned over loudspeaker, stating, "Dear citizens, your actions are illegal and are against the state." They also warned that advancing within three meters of police would be considered a threat to police officers' rights and will prompt a response. Tensions eventually flared and the sides exchanged projectiles as protesters attacked the police barricade armed with sticks, pipes, helmets, and gas masks, and were met with stun and smoke grenades.

Interior troops holding protective position under Molotov Cocktail rain, Dynamivska str. Euromaidan Protests. Events of Jan 19, 2014

Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko (who attempted to bring calm)) was sprayed with a fire extinguisher and shouted down as a traitor. Following this, Live TV pictures showed them attempting to overturn a bus used by police, which was later set on fire after petrol bombs were thrown. At least three buses were overtaken by rioters. Water canons used to douse the flames were also directed at protesters; an illegal use of force due to sub-zero temperatures. Later, rubber bullets were used against protesters as more police vehicles were set ablaze. Up to 10,000 rioters remained near the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium by 10 p.m. as rioting and clashes continued with smoke filling the air from the burning vehicles. The entire frontline of police buses used in the blockade was set on fire, and as midnight approached, nearly everything in the square by the Dynamo Stadium was ablaze. Commenting on the situation, opposition MP Lesya Orobets stated, "War has finally started, laws don't apply anymore." Reports from Lviv indicated that demonstrators inLviv, Kalush, and Ivano-Frankivsk blocked military units from deploying to Kiev; with a similar situation occurring in Rivne, blocking Berkut troops. Lviv troops later thanked protesters for blocking their deployment. Automaidan activists by 3 a.m. blocked all roads existing Yanukovych's Mezhyhyria mansion. In the early morning, protesters in central Kiev continued supplying molotov cocktails and advanced on police cordons while fortifying barricades to their rear as police continuously used water canons, fired rubber bullets, and jammed cell phone signals.

Clashes on Hrusehvskoho Street

The icy, charred remains of the police blockade

Trebuchet erected by demonstrators in Hrusehvskoho Street, Kyiv

By the evening, Vitali Klitschko had set a night time meeting with President Viktor Yanukovych at his presidential mansion Mezhyhirya in an attempt to argue for snap elections in order to defuse the situation from escalating into further violence. The meeting ended with Yanukovych promising to resolve the crisis with a 'special commission' that includes representatives of the administration (including the president), Cabinet of Ministers, and political opposition. Arseniy Yatseniuk took to the Euromaidan stage at about 9:30 p.m. to explain that he received a telephone call from the president telling him the administration wants to start negotiations to end the political crisis. On Monday, 20 January, the commission was announced by Party of Regions MPHanna Herman, but that it would convene without the presence of the President and be led by National Security and Defense Council secretary Andriy Klyuyev. Opposition leaders refused to take part in the government's proposed commission so long as the president abstained from them himself.

January 20

Clashes continued into the second day, with thousands remaining on Hrusehvskoho Street, continuing to exchange explosives and rocks with police. Of the 5,000 protesters present in the conflict area at the gates of the Dynamo Stadium near Mariinsky Park, 200 were seen engaging the 500 riot police without stopping by the afternoon. Berkut riot police were filmed by Radio Liberty throwing rocks at protesters while making obscene, instigative gestures towards them. Later in the day, a group of protesters assembled an 8 foot high trebuchet to hurl rocks and other projectiles at police ranks. In retaliation, police lobbed flash grenades, rocks, and Molotov cocktails at protesters. Police snipers scattered the rooftops in the area but were exposed with fireworks and lasers. By 10:45 p.m., the protests near Dynamo Stadium had swelled to 10,000 and continued to skirmish with thousands of police. According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry representatives of the opposition in the Ukrainian parliament were providing weapons to attack the police.

January 21

In the twilight hours of 21 January, after the dictatorship laws had taken legal effect, President Yanukovych ordered a 'bloody crackdown', with police warning over loudspeakers that they may use weapons. Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko signed an executive order authorizing the use of physical force, special devices, and firearms.

Protesters claimed to receive texts from their service providers stating "Dear subscriber, you've been registered as participant in the mass disturbances," which was later denied by service providers owned by Russian companies.Berkut troops continued to throw molotov cocktails at protesters. Nearing 4 a.m., the bells of St. Michael's Cathedral sounded its bells in alarm, as it did on the night of the 30 November police crackdown on the Maidan. Prominent EuroMaidan activists Ihor Lutsenko and Yuriy Verbytsky were abducted by five unknown men at 4 a.m. from Oleksandrivska Hospital in Kiev. Meanwhile on Hrushevskoho Street, the standoff continued with police until noon, when a temporary ceasefire took place between roughly 500 police officers and 1,000 protesters.

Hundreds of armed thugs (titushky) were reported by eye witnesses in the vicinity, attacking protesters and passers-by, as well as smashing vehicles; some were reportedly transported into the city on the back of large trucks with no license plates. Soon thereafter, they occupied many of the streets of downtown Kiev. In one incident, Vitali Klitschko appeared on Franko Street: upon seeing him, the titushky fled. Klitschko then disarmed 2 thugs, who confessed to him that they were brought into the city from Kherson and ordered to smash cars and bring chaos to the city. Automaidan activists detained other thugs in downtown Kiev who confessed they were promised payment of UAH 220 ($27) to vandalize the city. A number of the titushky who were apprehended by the vigilantes joined by political opposition leaders and brought to the opposition's headquarters at the Trades Union Building and questioned on live television, confessing their actions and job for the government to incite violence and anarchy. The vigilante rounding up of titushky was referred to as the titushky safari.

Injuries

Many protesters were injured in the clash with over 200 treated by medics on the scene. MP Lesya Orobets was targeted by police in the open and beaten in a politically motivated attack, along with 3 guards she was with. By January 21, it was reported that some 1,500 activists had sought medical attention and 80% of complaints involved injuries to the face, arms and legs. The majority of complaints were made at the Maidan medical aid center which was set up near the barricades on Hrushevskoho Street on January 19. Majority of those injured avoid hospitals as those treated have been subject to arrest.

Several journalists claimed they were targeted by the police, including many who say they were deliberately fired upon. 26 journalists in total were injured, with at least two badly injured by police stun grenades; a further 2 were arrested by police. Over 30 activists were detained in total. In an incident of cruel and unusual punishment, riot police detained two protesters, stripped them naked, doused them in water, and made them run back to Maidan on foot in the sub-zero temperatures, while they were fired upon with rubber bullets.

At least 100 riot police were injured in the clashes according to reports from the Interior Ministry, 61 of whom were hospitalized. According to the Interior Ministry's official website, demonstrators captured and beat one Berkut riot-police officer who was taken to the opposition-occupied House of Trade Unions and later sent to a hospital for treatment. By the end of the clashes over 100 individuals were injured in total, most of whom were police, which was a result of being badly outnumbered by the tens of thousands of protesters.

Blame

The agitators were described as young men who are 'tired of waiting for action' and impatient with both the regime's actions and opposition's inaction. Many were also frustrated with the West, including the European Union and the United States, for issuing statements of support but taking no other tangible action. Ukrainian media linked the action to a hitherto little-known right-wing youth group called "Right Sector". Yatseniuk claimed the actions of the radical protesters were orchestrated by the government to create pretext for further repressions, nonetheless, rioters appeared to have the support of the majority of protesters on the scene and did not represent a fringe, extremist splinter of Euromaidan.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka blamed the situation on "two months of rhetoric from irresponsible politicians, their shallow promises and impunity for crimes." Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry stated that they reserved the right to use even greater force, defending their use of rubber ammunition, and outright denied the use of water canons on protesters. According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry "the police did not act as harshly as they are allowed to in such a situation by the law" and they would have "had the right to use firearms." The Party of Regions thanked law enforcement officers who were on duty and in a statement, considered "criminal and immoral the actions of the opposition, which organized the riots on Hrushevskoho Street and on European Square." The party called for a 'nationwide dialogue', and it reminded the opposition of their "responsibility for the European future of Ukraine," and Regions members in Luhansk called for the president to declare a state of emergency.