ANTI-CAPITALISM DEMONSTRATION, 1 MAY 2009

AND ROCK CONCERT INVOLVING SKINHEADS, 2 MAY 2009 - KYIV

According to local media, an organization known as “The Autonomous Right” will conduct an anti-capitalism march and demonstration in downtown Kyiv, on Friday, May 1, 2009.  They will assemble at 15:00 in Shevchenko Park and then march to other locations  yet to be determined.  It appears that labor union members from the United Kingdom  and Germany will also participate in this event, in addition to other Ukrainian organizations. 

On Saturday, May 2, there will also be a rock concert in Kyiv involving groups associated with skinhead gangs and extreme nationalist organizations.  No venue has yet been identified. 

Demonstrations take place in Ukraine from time to time in response to world events or local developments.  We remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence.  American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the above mentioned areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.  American citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Cautions, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

In the event further information is obtained regarding this or any other security or safety situation in Ukraine, the Embassy will provide updates via this same channel and on the Embassy’s web page: http://kyiv.usembassy.gov.  American citizens who need to contact the Embassy may do so during working hours by calling American Citizens Services unit at (38-044) 490-4445 or the main Embassy telephone number at (38-044) 490-4000.  The Embassy’s duty officer may be reached after hours at this same number.

U.S. Embassy in Ukraine:
10, Yuriy Kotsyubynsky St.
01901 Kyiv, Ukraine

Consular Section:
6, Mykola Pymonenko St.
01901 Kyiv, Ukraine