Ukraine's president declares a 'coup' and refuses to resign

S AT U R D AY 22 FEBRUARY 2014 President Yanukovych re uses to resi!n and ca""s the revo"ution ascist# a ter Ukraine$s o%%osition takes over %ar"ia&ent and 'ai"ed o%%osition "eader Yu"ia Ty&oshenko %re%ares to (e re"eased) - President Yanukovych declares a coup, and compares situation to the Nazis taking power in 1930s ermany - !pposition lawmakers are pushing through a num"er o# re#orms to limit the president$s powers, including elections in %ay - &hey voted to speed up the process o# releasing 'ailed opposition leader Yulia &ymoshenko - !leksandr &urchynov, an ally o# Yulia &ymoshenko, has "een elected as the new parliament speaker - (( people are dead a#ter days o# violence in )iev President Yanukovych was speaking a#ter opposition lawmakers voted to pass a series o# laws taking power away #rom the president and to speed up the release o# 'ailed opposition leader Yulia &ymoshenko* +e denounced the revolution as a ,coup d$etat, during a televised statement* ,&he events witnessed "y our country and the whole world are

an e-ample o# a coup d$etat,, he was .uoted as saying, adding that it resem"led the rise o# the Nazis in the 1930s* /peaking #rom )harviv, in eastern 0kraine, he said that he had no intention o# resigning or leaving* +ours a#ter a deal was "rokered "etween 0kraine$s President Yanukovych and the opposition partieson 1riday, there appeared to "e a power vacuum in the capital, with the opposition moving in to #ill the gap* &he previously heavy police presence on the streets had disappeared "y /aturday morning, and protesters stood guard at government "uildings and the )iev o##ice o# President 2iktor Yanukovich, with the president nowhere to "e seen* &he em"attled president had le#t )iev #or his support "ase in the country$s 3ussian-speaking east* Protesters also took up positions around the president$s grandiose residential compound* 4rowds #locked to see what was "ehind the gilded gates a#ter he #led, and were shocked to discover a several houses, a manicured lawn, mar"led columns and a private zoo, complete with ostriches, gnus and pigs*

Channel 4 News @Channel4News Plump pigs & a private zoo: @mattfrei blogs from Kiev, on a very revolutionary day out http://bit.ly/MMblB !"#ne$s 9:19 AM - 22 Feb 2014

Ty&oshenko %oised or re"ease 5n a special parliament session on /aturday, lawmakers warned that the country risked "eing split in two "etween the 60-leaning western regions, and eastern 0kraine #avouring closer ties with 3ussia* 5n a #ast-moving session, parliament voted to restore a constitution that cur"s the president$s powers and to .uicken the process to #ree the 'ailed opposition leader Yulia &ymoshenko, ensuring it is no longer dependent on presidential approval* !leksander &urchynov, a close ally o# %s &ymoshenko, was elected as the speaker o# parliament, replacing a Yanukovich loyalist, who had resigned* %s &ymoshenko$s daughter Yevgenia said she was going to )harkiv to meet her mother, who was 'ailed in 7011 #or seven years #or a"use o# o##ice

linked to a gas deal and is a "itter rival o# President 2iktor Yanukovich ,1irst o# all, 5 would like to thank all the people who are standing on %aidan 85ndependence /.uare9 and who have "een #ighting #or three months #or 0kraine$s #reedom, #or these changes that are now happening in parliament,, she told reporters* ,&he only thing 5 regret, we all regret that these changes had to "e paid #or with such a heavy price, with "lood o# people* 5t was not necessary, it should have not happened*, 6vents moved at a rapid pace and could see a decisive shi#t in the #uture o# a country o# :;m people away #rom %oscow$s or"it and closer to the <est, although 0kraine is near "ankruptcy and depends on 3ussian aid to pay its de"t* 2ideo "elow= <atch 6urope 6ditor %att 1rei$s dramatic report #rom )iev on 1riday 71 1e"ruary

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> woman makes the sign o# the cross in #ront o# a #lower covered wall in 5ndependence /.uare, )iev*