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Journalists met with riot police on Journalist Day

07.06.2013   
Once again journalists who gathered near the President’s residence at Mezhyhirya were obstructed first by traffic, then by Berkut riot police

Once again journalists who gathered near the President’s residence at Mezhyhirya were obstructed first by traffic, then by Berkut riot police. On Thursday morning, 6 June around 40 journalists and members of the press gathered to monitor how the court ruling banning the entirely peaceful gathering planned was enforced.

Enforced it was. 

At the approach to Mezhyhirya, the journalists’ cars were stopped by traffic police and from there they were force to move on foot.

A unit of Berkut riot officers turned up and positioned themselves around the entrance to the highly controversial residence.

The Village Head of the neighbouring Novi Petrivtsi Village, Rodion Starenky appeared.  It is he who has on each occasion applied to the courts to have peaceful protests banned.

He read out the court order and suggested that the journalists move to the village restaurant.

As reported, journalists have now tried three years running to remind the President of his televised promise to show them the residence.  Each time they have been stopped by court bans and riot police. 

The excuses have varied, though all have been pitifully unconvincingly.  This week the court claimed that five days was not sufficient for the local authorities to prepare for the protest while the police maintained that the protest would obstruct traffic and pose a danger.

In 2012 journalists planned to present a corruption map for visitors to Kyiv and Kyiv oblast.  It showed sites believed to involve corrupt dealings, with these including Mezhyhirya.

Information from Telekritika, photos from Ukrainska Pravda

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