The police broke the plans of the organizers of the action near the President's Office, preventing clashes and bloodshed - Igor Klymenko
Law enforcement officers had enough forces to stop offenses and could intervene quickly enough, but it was decided not to get “on the hook” of manipulation and provocation. In this way, law enforcers broke the plans of the organizers of the action to show how the police and the authorities allegedly violate the constitutional right of citizens to peaceful protest. At present, investigators have launched a pre-trial investigation under four articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Seven people have been informed of the suspicion. This was announced by the Head of the National Police of Ukraine today, March 30, during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
According to Igor Klymenko, the action on March 20 near the Office of the President of Ukraine took place live under the lenses of dozens of cameras. The police unhindered the right of citizens to peaceful protest. However, the events gradually crossed the line of the law: the participants lit fireworks, began throwing firecrackers and painting the walls of the office of the head of state. “It was not only the walls that took over the aggression of the crowd.
Dialogue police officers were in the line of fire, facing the activists. In fact, we needed to evacuate the negotiators from there, because they were really in danger,” Ihor Klymenko stressed, adding that the police had only identification vests from the equipment. The head of the National Police noted that in order to prevent the fire from approaching the crowd Rescuers accompanied by police officers.
This provoked an aggressive reaction from the crowd: protesters began throwing firecrackers and firecrackers at law enforcement officers. “We understood that any action we took would lead to an escalation of the conflict.
It is obvious that the protesters behaved as brazenly as possible precisely in order to provoke law enforcement officers to an active reaction,” Ihor Klymenko noted. According to the head of the department, the organizers openly urged participants to take bandages and medicines with them and to be ready for force resistance to police officers.
The action was carefully planned: even before its official start, several dozen young people of athletic build gathered near the President's Office, holding groups. “Obviously, this was supposed to help in case of clashes with the police.
Moreover, among the participants of the event were minors who copied the aggressive actions of older protesters. Were the children involved intentionally, because criminal responsibility for these actions does not apply to them?”, - suggested Igor Klymenko, stressing that the participation of minors in such activities is unacceptable and dangerous practice. According to the Head of the National Police of Ukraine, there were enough law enforcement officers at the site of the action who could intervene get into the situation quickly enough.
But it was decided not to “get caught up” with the manipulations and provocations of the “directors” of the action near the President's Office.
“These provocateurs tried to show the whole world how the police and the authorities allegedly violate the constitutional right of citizens to peaceful protest. But we broke their plans. And the main thing is that clashes and bloodshed were not allowed,” Igor Klymenko stressed.
He noted that out of the total number of participants in the action - more than one and a half thousand people - aggressive actions were committed by just over five percent of citizens. Currently, a pre-trial investigation under four articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine has been launched on the facts of March 20.
In particular, investigators are investigating criminal offenses provided for by articles 296 (Hooliganism), 194 (Intentional destruction or damage to property), 338 (Narrowing over state symbols) and 436-1 (Production, dissemination of communist, Nazi symbols and propaganda of communist and national-socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In agreement with the prosecutors, the police investigators informed seven people about the suspicion.
In addition, Igor Klymenko reported that the police identified the person who painted the image of the swastika after the end of the action - at 21.35. Processing of procedural documents continues.
Department of Communications of the National Police of Ukraine
