Saakashvili freed by supporters from police van in Kiev, calls to oust President Poroshenko

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Saakashvili freed by supporters from police van in Kiev, calls to oust President Poroshenko

December 5th, 2017

Awake Goy

Saakashvili’s supporters broke the rear door of the van he was being transported in. The protesters took Saakashvili to a nearby church, where he addressed the crowd. The opposition leader called on the protesters to take to the infamous Maidan Square and topple incumbent Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko and his “gang.”

“I will lay down my life for Ukraine’s freedom. I want to call on all the Kievans to take to the streets today, to gather in Maidan and start the process of deliverance of Petro Poroshenko and his gang from Ukraine,” Saakashvili said addressing the crowd.

As the politician finished his anti-government speech, the protesters started marching through the streets of the Ukrainian capital.

The standoff between the protesters and Ukrainian security forces lasted for several hours, leaving several people injured, before Saakashvili’s forced release. On Tuesday morning, the former Georgian president went on the roof of his apartment building in Kiev and threatened to jump off, while security forces searched his apartment. After the opposition activist was detained, supporters started blocking the nearby streets with tires, stones, bins, and cars to prevent police from taking Saakashvili to a detention facility.

The police van became stuck in the crowd, and protests smashed the front window. Ukrainian security forces used tear gas and deployed more officers to the site in attempt to clear the way. The protesters tried to break the police cordon and used what appears to be pepper spray against the officers.

Ukrainian security forces want to question the out-of-favor politician on suspicion of assisting criminals and concealing their criminal activities.

Saakashvili used to be a close ally of the incumbent Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who granted him citizenship in the country and appointed him as governor of the Odessa region in 2015. The friendship did not last long, however, with Saakashvili resigning in November 2016 to create his own political party called ‘Movement of New Forces.’

Poroshenko personally stripped the politician of his new citizenship. Since then, the former president of Georgia has organized anti-government rallies in Ukraine, calling for the impeachment of the Ukrainian leader.

His native Georgia is also demanding his extradition on charges of corruption. However, Kiev has not acceded to the request, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General.