Ukraine: Activists plan to demonstrate in Kharkiv Feb. 5

Event

Activists plan to demonstrate in Kharkiv Feb. 5 to show support for Ukraine in the context of ongoing heightened tensions with Russia. Participants will gather at Constitution Square from around 14:00 before marching to Freedom Square for a final rally. Organizers anticipate around 5,000 participants. Local authorities have not given permission for the demonstration to go ahead but organizers have stated their intention to stage the action regardless.

Additional police will almost certainly be deployed to monitor or attempt to prevent the action; related security measures, including road closures and movement restrictions, will likely result in localized transport disruptions around the proposed march route. Isolated clashes are possible, particularly if police attempt to prohibit activists from gathering or disperse activists once they have gathered. Bystanders are unlikely to be directly targeted in any associated violence but would face an indirect threat of physical harm.

Advice

Avoid the demonstration as a routine security precaution and to mitigate associated disruptions. Heed instructions from security services and leave the area at the first sign of a confrontation. Check for disruptions and allow extra time for travel in central Kharkiv the afternoon of Feb. 5.