Ukraine opposition keeping control of central square, Kyiv City Council

Opposition forces continued to occupy Kyiv’s central square and City Council building with no attempts by the government to disperse them since Dec. 11. For the first time since, police officers returned to the perimeter of these barricades this morning. Ukraine’s parliament approved on Dec. 19 legislation to provide amnesty to all EuroMaidan participants protesting between Nov. 21 and the day the law takes effect. It reportedly excludes amnesty for the police officers involved. Meanwhile, the government reportedly held a ceremony on Dec. 19 to award police officers that may have been involved in the violent dispersals on Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Dec. 11 that were condemned by Western leaders.

Zenon Zawada: The EuroMaidan protest has lost momentum as the leaders of the three opposition parties in parliament haven’t offered any guidance on further action, besides occupying these two central sites. Former Internal Affairs Minister, Yuriy Lutsenko, proposed launching a national civic movement to oppose the government, protect activists from repressions and influence the opposition parties. That’s among the best strategies for the EuroMaidan to sustain itself against the inevitable attempt by the administration of President Viktor Yanukovych to liquidate it, which we view as a realistic by the year’s end or as soon as this weekend. Should the barricades be taken down, it will be nearly impossible to re-establish them. The protest movment would then have to reorganize and develop in the nation’s cities and towns, as well as Kyiv’s outer districts.