Ukrainian nationalists, radicals steer clear of unrest near Verkhovna Rada
KYIV. Oct 14 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian nationalist party Svoboda has steered clear of the unrest near the parliament building in Kyiv on Tuesday.
"Svoboda has nothing to do with the provocations staged near the Verkhovna Rada. We demand that the law enforcement services take measures to prevent clashes and casualties," it said on Twitter on Tuesday.
Svoboda is holding a peaceful rally near the Verkhovna Rada, the party said.
The Right Sector radical party said, too, that claims it was involved in clashes near the parliament building were a provocation. "The Right Sector has never been involved in provocations and will never be," Right Sector Press Secretary Artyom Skoropadskiy told reporters.
He said the Right Sector was only planning to stage one official event - an evening march in Kyiv marking the anniversary of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, jointly with the Azov Battalion.
"Clashes near the Verkhovna Rada as of 1 p.m. were a provocation," he said.
The Kyiv Police department told Interfax that no information was available to prove the protestors had used weapons. It said policemen were not using tear gas and were trying to contain the demonstrators by forming a 'live shield'.
Reports said earlier that Ukrainian lawmakers had attempted several times and failed to pass a bill on the recognition of the Ukrainian Nationalist Organization and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army as fighters for Ukraine's independence during World War II.
