The protests began in late November 2013 after the president dismissed a trade deal with the European Union, reversing a decision to sign the deal, and instead set a course for closer ties with Russia, signing a $15 billion bailout deal with Russia. The initial demands by protesters were centered with closer ties with Europe. After numerous clashes with police and refusing to back down, protesters expanded their demands beyond amnesty for demonstrators - after anti-demonstrators have paralyzed the capitol for weeks now, they've stated that despite key concessions already made by President Viktor Yanukovych they want more: a complete change in their system. The EU's top foreign policy was stating saying she was 'shocked' by the deadly violence int he capital and across the country in the recent week.
The protesters are now demanding a change in the constitution to give more powers to parliament over the president and a full change in the regime.
Lawmakers have given in to the demand that they repeal the anti-protest laws that sparked an escalation of street protests last week that resulted in five protester deaths. The prime minister, Mykola Azarov and his Cabinet have resigned, but the president has not.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian parliament voted to given amnesty to protesters if they vacate the occupied government buildings. Protesters at the moment hold on city hall and an agricultural ministry in Kiev, a number of governor's offices in the western regions of the country and several non-governmental buildings in central Kiev.
The Ukranian parliment passed a law providing amnesty to protesters detained during the the unrest, 232 votes to 11 with the backing of Mr Yanukovych, while opposition parties abstained from voting in anger that the condition of the bill whereby it will only apply if protesters abandon the government buildings. Protesters on the streets of the capital also rejected the move.
Ukraine key dates:
21 Nov 2013: President announces it will not sign a deal aimed at strengthening ties with the EU
30 Nov: Riot police detain dozens of anti-government protesters in a violent crackdown in Kiev
17 Dec: Russia agrees to buy $15bn of Ukrainian government bonds and slash the price of gas it sells to the country
16 Jan 2014: Parliament passes law restricting the right to protest
22 Jan: Two protesters die from bullet wounds during clashes with police in Kiev; protests spread across many cities
25 Jan: President Yanukovych offers senior jobs to the opposition, including that of prime minister, but these are rejected
28 Jan: Parliament votes to annul protest law and President Yanukovych accepts resignation of PM and cabinet
29 Jan: Parliament passes amnesty law for detained protesters, under the condition occupied buildings are vacated
President Viktor Yanukovych:- widely criticized for massive corruption and cronyism. More than half of the ministers appointed by Yanukovych were either born in the Donbas region or made some crucial part of their careers there. Over 46% of the budget subventions for social and economic development was allotted to the Donbas region's Donetsk Oblastand Luhansk Oblast administrations
- The Ukranian Week claimed in March 2013 that Yanukovych had failed to meet his 2010 election promises
- On the 16th January 2014, he signed the Bondarenko-Oliynyk laws, also known as Anti-Protest Laws. Demonstrators occupied provincial administration buildings in at least 10 regions. Verkhovna Rada lawmakers repealed nine of the 12 restrictive laws that had been passed on January 16 by a show of hands, without debate. The laws imposed limits on free speech and assembly in the country
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