Supporters of the trade blockade in Donbas gathered in Kyiv for a rally on Tuesday evening. The police shut off the city’s main street Khreshchatyk to guarantee public safety and avoid possible provocations. Some of the most radical protesters threw bricks at the building of Alfa Bank, the local branch of the Russian financial entity in Ukraine. UNN news agency reported that as the protest turned aggressive.
‘One of the activists downed the plate on the bank’s building, while others threw bricks into the doors. A fight followed in the crowd. The police took no action’, the news agency reported.
The protesters approached Mykhailivsky Golden-Domed Cathedral and pelted one of the local offices with stones and firecrackers. The police encircled the cathedral to prevent any further escalation of situation.
The trade blockade of railways and some roadways in Donbas began on January 26. The activists say they aim to prevent black trading between Ukraine and the occupied territories of Donbas. On March 13, Ukrainian law enforcers dispersed the activists near the redoubt in Kryvy Torets, Donetsk region. Over 40 people were detained; later, all were released.