Anti-protest laws came into force last night. The Berkut police units broke the lines of protests and started taking down the barricades. At least one person was killed by a shock grenade. The police prevented additional protesters from entering the Grushevsky Street.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov visiting Davos said that the new laws provoked more protests. They will not affect the attackers of January 19-20 but will punish for new violations. Justice Minister Yelena Lukash urged the EU and US to criticize the radicalism on the streets.
Political analyst Igor Gridasov said that the protests on the electoral year would cause more harm for political reputation. This is why both sides of the conflict want to suppress each other.
Sergey Slobodruk, Director of Slobodruk and Partners: Politics, PR, Elections, said that a solution could only be achieved through negotiations. Russia, US and the EU should be involved.
Alexey Poltarakov, a political analyst, urged both sides of the conflict to start talks. He said that the Constitutional Court should study the new laws and opposition should stop violence.
