Thousands protest in Kiev against autonomy plan for E. Ukraine

Source: Xinhua| 2019-10-16 03:27:36|Editor: huaxia
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People attend a protest in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, Oct. 14, 2019. (Photo by Sergey Starostenko/Xinhua)

Up to 12,000 people took part in the march, the second major protest in the month.

KIEV, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- More than 10,000 people took to the streets in Kiev on Defender's Day of Ukraine to protest against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to grant autonomy to the part of eastern Ukraine not controlled by Kiev.

According to the National Police of Ukraine, up to 12,000 people took part in the march in Kiev.

Protesters walked to the main square of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and later marched toward the presidential office and the parliament building, chanting "No Surrender!"

The protest was the continuation of the march which gathered 10,000 people on Oct. 6 protesting against the eastern Ukraine conflict resolution plan, which allows the region to receive temporary special status during local elections.

The protesters blamed Zelensky and his team for "surrendering to Russia" and demanded to overturn the signing of Steinmeier formula.

The Steinmeier formula was signed on Oct. 1 at the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) meeting in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. The formula envisages a ceasefire, withdrawal of troops and amnesty regarding the situation in the country's eastern Donbass region.

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