11:32 22.04.2015

Protesting coalminers break through police lines outside presidential administration building in Kyiv

1 min read
Protesting coalminers break through police lines outside presidential administration building in Kyiv

Over 1,000 coalminers who came to protest outside the presidential administration's building in downtown Kyiv and hand over their demands to the country's leadership have broken through police lines on Bankova Street and came close to the building today.

The protesters are causing a ruckus with their hard hats and are behaving aggressively, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported.

Several cordons formed of around one hundred police officers have lined up in front of the building. National Guard officers are also involved in keeping law and order on the site.

As reported, the third congress of Ukrainian coalminers decided in Kyiv on Tuesday to address the president to demand the dismissal of Energy and Coal Industry Ministry Volodymyr Demchyshyn.

About 800 delegates who attended the congress also demanded that the National Security and Defense Council set up a meeting to hammer out measures to regulate the crisis in the coal industry.

The congress also insists on amendments being made to the national budget so that more funds can be allocated to support coalmines.

If their demands are not met the coalminers plan to start a nationwide strike.

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