Raucous protests erupt in central Kyiv

Raucous protests occurred in central Kyiv on Feb. 27,
involving at 1,500 protestors demanding the president’s impeachment, as well as
Donbas war veterans demanding the government fulfill the law requiring higher
pension payments, news reports said. Protesters clashed with law enforcement in
front of parliament, resulting in 14 injured police officers.

Police responded to attempts to burn tires, as well as
objects thrown at them. Numerous protesters were beaten and arrested, though no
official estimates were released by law enforcement or the news media. An
Interior Ministry spokesman, Anton Herashchenko, accused the protestors of
being provocateurs aligned with the recently deported activist Mikheil
Saakashvili, whom they accuse of having indirect ties to the Kremlin.
(Saakashvili has denied these claims.)

Zenon Zawada: We view these protests as a genuine display of discontent among the
public, particularly among the war veterans, despite the presence of what could
have been a handful of provocateurs. We expect such protests to grow more
intense as elections approach next year. It’s disconcerting to see state
officials making blanket dismissals of the protestors as provocateurs, without
making statements addressing their concerns.