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Standoff Between Protesters, Police In Kyiv
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Standoff Between Protesters, Police In Kyiv

Live Blog: Kyiv Protests Continue As Deadlines Loom

Security forces have begun removing protesters' barricades in Kyiv, while President Yanukovych calls for a "national roundtable" with government and opposition representatives.

Final Post (barring major developments)

--December 8 live blog here

-- President Viktor Yanukovych announced he had accepted a plan to hold a "national roundtable" with the opposition. In a statement on his official website, he said he plans on meeting with the three former Ukrainian presidents on December 10.

-- Towards early evening, riot police surrounded several protests encampments near the government quarter, beginning the process of taking down barricades and encampments. Protesters and police are now locked in standoff on several streets.

-- Security forces raided the offices of the Batkivschyna (Fatherland) political party of Yulia Tymoshenko, taking the party's servers. The Interior Ministry issued a statement later, saying they were investigating fraudulent claims to property.

-- The raid and the moves to tear down protest camps have prompted indignation from the West. U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden "expressed deep concern" in a phone call with Yanukovych. EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, who is flying to Kyiv on Tuesday, said the events "seriously risk" derailing a chance at compromise.

Glenn Kates
11:52 9.12.2013
Breaking -- According to RIA Novosti, President Viktor Yanukovych has called for a "national roundtable" with representatives from the government and the opposition to come to a compromise.
11:49 9.12.2013
11:48 9.12.2013
Strongest statement yet from European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso:

"It is important, in face of these challenges - instead of keeping ourselves in the comfort zone, namely the so called establishment parties - to have the courage to go out and fight, not to give up to those arguments, to explain with reasonable and rational arguments - sometimes for some of us with emotion - why we care about Europe, why Europe is something we must cherish precisely to defend these values."

"Just yesterday I had a phone call – another one - with President Yanukovych. I asked him to show restraint in the face of these recent developments, to not use force against the people that are demonstrating peacefully, to respect fully the freedoms that are so important for all of us in Europe."
11:44 9.12.2013
11:39 9.12.2013
11:36 9.12.2013
11:36 9.12.2013
11:33 9.12.2013
Meanwhile, George Clooney releases message in support of protesters.

11:32 9.12.2013
11:26 9.12.2013
A correspondent for Moscow-based Echo-Moskvy says demonstrators inside the city administration building are "building barricades and are armed with sticks and bats."

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