Today, on March 17, nearly 500 participants in the military operation in Donbass have gathered outside the building of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine blocking Kreshchatik, the central street in Kiev. The protesters demand land lots the government promised to those who fight in Donbass for Ukraine.
Earlier, the government promised a total of 18.4 thousand ha of lands to the participants of the military operation in Donbass. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the process of allotment was launched. Actually, the provision of lands to the participants in the military actions is not registered and is being delayed.
Protests are no longer uncommon in Kiev. Earlier on March 13, protesters blocked Kreshchatik demanding resignation of Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitchko and reduction of communal fees. In early March, employees of the coal recovery and energy sectors of Ukraine went on a rally in the city center. Miners were banging their helmets on the asphalt. Marches were organized in Kiev also in late February. Protesters were rallying those days demanding Valeria Hontareva, Head of the National Bank of Ukraine, to resign.
The authorities, in turn, failed to settle the problem and decided to fight the protesters making political bias allegations against them. On March 13, Anton Gerashchenko, the people’s deputy of Ukraine from the People’s Front faction, launched discussions in the parliament on the Bill that criminalizes organization of the so-called ‘paid’ political rallies.
The Bill of amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine criminalizes an offer, promise or provision of unlawful payment to a person for participation in a large-scale public and political event (rally, procession, demonstration, picket, assembly etc.) and imposes a fine amounting to 500 tax-free minimum incomes, arrest for up to 6 months, or imprisonment for up to 3 years.
