The police broke up conducting of the peaceful protest action “Let’s dispose of garbage in Kharkiv“, which was organized by youth public organization “Democratic Alliance” on May 15th in Kharkiv. The police blocked the column movement, took away the video camera by force and deleted the records which fixed police actions, tore off the flags and forced to take away transparencies. Chairman of Democratic Alliance and Kharkiv activist were detained and the picket moved to the building of Dzerzhynski local police station.

The participants of the event say that they planned to conduct protest procession along the central streets of the city and finish the action with the street-performance near the building of city administration. Among the demands to local authorities were arrangement of appropriate work of utilities not only in the centre but also in the remote city districts; distribution of topical social advertising and conduction in cooperation with public organizations enlightening activities with Kharkiv citizens; realization of the police appropriate control of citizens' observance of municipal improvements.

“The police explained their actions by the fact that “coordinating committee of the city council didn’t recommend to conduct this event, i.e. forbad it”. Deputy chief of the local police station who managed the group of policemen said he knew that during conduction of the action all forms of the statute were kept but it didn’t matter to him because he was set a task from above to break up the action“ – the activists of the action said.

Local authorities were notified about the conduction of the action properly. The event wasn’t forbidden by the court decision and we had every reason to use our Constitutional right on peaceful meetings. The police employees who unlawfully hinder the action conduction must be called to account,” – Chairman of Democratic Alliance Vasyl Gatsko said. “It is another signal to Ukrainian society that the authority began the attack on citizens’ rights and freedoms. It is the challenge to everyone. Our responsibility is to put up resistance to encroachments on our freedoms. Freedom exists where it is struggled for”, - he added.

In the police station the reports on apprehended on administrative delinquencies were drawn up. After the calls of advocates and journalists the participants of the action were released.

The comment of The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union:     the actions of the police were clearly unlawful since a peaceful gathering can only be banned by a court decision which was not obtained. The peaceful meeting was stopped because of the decision of local self-government body which is the breach of the Constitution. During the informal conversation

Additional information:

Constitution of Ukraine.

Article 39. Citizens have the right to assemble peacefully without arms and to hold meetings, rallies, processions and demonstrations, upon notifying in advance the bodies of executive power or bodies of local self-government.

Restrictions on the exercise of this right may be established by a court in accordance with the law and only in the interests of national security and public order, with the purpose of preventing disturbances or crimes, protecting the health of the population, or protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons.

Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Article 340. Illegal interference with the organization or holding of assemblies, rallies, marches and demonstrations.

Illegal interference with the organization or holding of assemblies, rallies, marches and demonstrations, where this act was committed by an official or with the use of physical violence, - shall be punishable by correctional labor for a term up to two years, or arrest for a term up to six months, or restraint of liberty for a term up to five years, or imprisonment for the same term.