Kyiv Activists Occupy Business Center In Support Of Miners' Protest

About 20 activists from Ukraine's nationalist Svoboda (Liberty) group have occupied a business center in Kyiv, calling for the demands of miners in eastern Luhansk region to be met.

The DTEK Corporation owns the Chervonyy Partizan (Red Guerilla) coal mine in Luhansk where the miners work, and it has offices in the business center.

Miners and union activists have been protesting in Luhansk against planned layoffs.

On January 10, they took over the mine director's office and demanded a meeting with company leaders.

They said they wanted the mine owners to reverse plans to reduce the workforce in order to decrease coal production.

Police and security officers forced the miners and union activists to leave the director's office on January 11.