Absent in the placard below is the demand that Yanukovych leave office. Although much of the ire of protesters has been directed at the Ukrainian president, there is limited legal means to force him from his position.
The graffiti seems to say Ukraine does not need gas from Russia if it is united with Europe. Wishful thinking?
According to the Interior Ministry 5,000 had gathered by 11 AM.
Final Update (CONTINUED on December 9 here)
NOTE: We were under an apparent DDOS attack for two hours today. During that time, updates were provided on Storify and Tumblr.
-- Several hundred thousand people protested in central Kyiv today in answer to the opposition's call for one million to head to the streets.
-- On Independence Square the opposition called for protesters to surround all government institutions and by evening some 100,000 people had heeded that call. A leader of the opposition has said President Viktor Yanukovych's residence will be blocked if he does not answer protester demands within 48 hours.
-- The opposition has demanded that the government of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov be dismissed. And in a statement today, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said protests should continue until Yanukovych himself agrees to leave office.
-- In a symbolic act, protesters demolished a monument to Vladimir Lenin in downtown Kyiv.
-- The government, for its part has condemned the ongoing protests and occupation of government buildings as "unconstitutional." The state security services have begun an investigation in connection with actions aimed at "seizing state power." Kyiv police are also investigating Lenin's statue destruction as an incident of "mass unrest."
-- Resources: A glossary of terms; Ukraine's pro-Russian East (analysis and the view from Donetsk); live blog of last week's protests.
Glenn Kates
NOTE: We were under an apparent DDOS attack for two hours today. During that time, updates were provided on Storify and Tumblr.
-- Several hundred thousand people protested in central Kyiv today in answer to the opposition's call for one million to head to the streets.
-- On Independence Square the opposition called for protesters to surround all government institutions and by evening some 100,000 people had heeded that call. A leader of the opposition has said President Viktor Yanukovych's residence will be blocked if he does not answer protester demands within 48 hours.
-- The opposition has demanded that the government of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov be dismissed. And in a statement today, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said protests should continue until Yanukovych himself agrees to leave office.
-- In a symbolic act, protesters demolished a monument to Vladimir Lenin in downtown Kyiv.
-- The government, for its part has condemned the ongoing protests and occupation of government buildings as "unconstitutional." The state security services have begun an investigation in connection with actions aimed at "seizing state power." Kyiv police are also investigating Lenin's statue destruction as an incident of "mass unrest."
-- Resources: A glossary of terms; Ukraine's pro-Russian East (analysis and the view from Donetsk); live blog of last week's protests.
Glenn Kates