Rallies with new demands to the authorities to be held in Kyiv: where and when to gather on July 30-31
30 July 13:27
Activists are gathering in Kyiv for another rally near the Franko Theater, calling on the Verkhovna Rada to restore the powers of the NABU and SAPO, as well as to appoint the head of the BES, according to the DEJURE Foundation ‘s Facebook page and the People with Cardboard Instagram page, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
on July 30 and 31, peaceful rallies in support of the independence of anti-corruption bodies are planned in Kyiv.
Citizens are opposed to Law No. 4555, which, according to experts and civil society organizations, has significantly weakened the powers of the NABU and the SAPO. The activists call on the Verkhovna Rada to repeal the controversial law and adopt a new draft law No. 13533, which should restore the full-fledged work of the anti-corruption system.
Where and when the actions will take place
On Monday, July 30, at 20:00, a peaceful assembly will take place in Kyiv, on the square near the Ivan Franko Theater.
The next day, on July 31, the protest will continue in Mariinsky Park, starting at 11:00 a.m., near the Verkhovna Rada, through which MPs will go to the plenary session.
The organizers of the actions are civic initiatives, human rights organizations and activists, including the People with Cardboard community.
They claim that all the events are peaceful, and that they have notified the authorities and law enforcement agencies, who are supposed to ensure public order.
The main demands of the protesters
The organizers call on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to
- to adopt in the second reading and in general the draft law No. 13533, which restores the powers of the NABU and the SAPO;
- to repeal the law No. 4555, which was adopted in violation of the regulations;
- ensure the independence of anti-corruption bodies.
In addition, the protesters demand that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
- appoint the head of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) in accordance with the results of a transparent competition that has already taken place.
What preceded it
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed Law No. 4555, which, according to human rights activists, undermines the institutional independence of the NABU and the SAPO and contradicts Ukraine’s commitments to the EU. After that, international partners began to signal possible consequences.
According to activists, the European Union temporarily froze some of its funding for Ukraine, including the Ukraine Facility program, which significantly supports the Ukrainian budget.
Further funding under the ERA initiative (using the proceeds of frozen Russian assets), as well as funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), is also under threat.
The significance of the events
According to the organizers, the choice of locations for the protests is strategic. on July 30, the protest will take place near the Franko Theater, not far from the Presidential Office. on July 31, the protest will take place in Mariinsky Park, where MPs will be going to the morning plenary session. In this way, the protesters aim to remind MPs directly of the public demand for preserving an independent anti-corruption infrastructure.
The organizers emphasize that only massive public support can influence decision-making. Those who cannot attend in person are encouraged to spread the word on social media or send MPs an appeal urging them to support Draft Law 13533.
The DEJURE Foundation is a direct action think tank established in 2016 to promote the development of the rule of law and justice sector reforms in Ukraine.
The name of the organization includes the first letters of the words DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE, REFORMS, which make up the concept of DE JURE, Latin for “according to law.”
The DEJURE Foundation, headed by Mykhailo Zhernakov, was funded by USAID, the Renaissance Foundation, and other organizations under the control of the US Democratic Party.
In 2021-2024, the NGO received more than UAH 108 million from donors (more than USD 3 million, taking into account the exchange rate in different years). At the same time, detailed financial reports from the foundation, which positions itself as one of the main players in the field of judicial reform, are not publicly available. The information that DeJure does not disclose either its expenditure items or contracts with contractors is published by Ukrainski Novyny.
