Ukrainians pour into streets in massive rally

Olga Rudenko | Special for USA TODAY

KIEV, Ukraine — About 200,000 poured into the streets of the capital here Sunday as protests entered their fourth week amid increased pressure by the U.S. and its allies after the Ukrainian government backed away from a deal with the European Union.

"I want Ukraine in the EU, and I want the bandits out of their seats in the government," said Yuriy Mazur, 19, a student who came to Kiev from the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk to protest. "I will stay till we oust this government."

The anti-government protests began late last month after President Viktor Yanukovych decided to refrain from signing a trade deal with the European Union, instead seeking closer ties with Russia, a key trade partner.

On Tuesday, Yanukovych said he would sign the EU deal next spring. But two days later, Ukrainian officials announced that the president would go to Moscow on Tuesday to finalize a trade deal with Russia, prompting a large turnout Sunday in the hopes of derailing the initiative.

U.S. Sens. John McCain and Chris Murphy joined the rally Sunday, where they spoke and expressed support for the protesters.

"People of Ukraine, this is your moment. This is about the future of Ukraine, the future that you deserve," McCain said. "The free world is with you, the U.S. is with you, and I am with you."

While passing out leaflets encouraging people to come and support the protest, Maksym Androsovich, 21, said he wasn't interested in the protest at first but changed his mind after a brutal police raid Nov. 30 to clear Independence Square, the epicenter of the demonstrations.

"(The) EU deal is politics — some may like the deal, some may not. There is no right or wrong way," said Androsovich, a student from Kiev. "But the violent actions by police were clearly wrong, very wrong. Everyone must come to Kiev and show that we can't be treated that way."

On Saturday, authorities announced that three Kiev officials as well as the deputy head of the national security council were being investigated for the police raid, with two of them being suspended immediately. Protesters, however, aren't satisfied.

"The government simply found the people who will serve as whipping boys," Androsovich said. "Instead, top officials should be held responsible — the interior affairs minister, the prime minister and the president."

On Tuesday, opposition lawmakers will attempt to bring down the government in a no-confidence vote, a key demand of protesters.

"Dismissing the (government) is the minimum that opposition have to do to bring these protests to an end," said local political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Penta Center for Applied Political Studies in Kiev. "It is very hard to get hundreds of thousands of people out on the streets continuously. People get tired, it is cold, and the holidays are almost here. But the government is also tired and is trying to buy time."