Ukraine: protesters end Kyiv City Hall occupation

Protesters in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv have left the City Hall building they had been occupying since December.

Activists have also vacated four regional governors’ offices to meet the terms of a government amnesty offer.

The move comes after the release of 234 detained protesters on Friday, although criminal charges against them have not yet been dropped and many are reportedly being kept under house arrest.

Activists are keeping a close presence around City Hall and say they will reoccupy the building if the government does not carry out its promise to drop charges against the released protesters and declare that the amnesty law has come into force.

President Yanukovich’s government is negotiating the amnesty law through parliament and had given Monday as a deadline for protesters to clear buildings and barricades.

Protesters also agreed to ease blockages of traffic on Hrushevsky Street which borders the Maidan protests in Independence Square and leads to government buildings and parliament. They opened up part of the barricades to allow traffic to pass through although they have kept the majority place.

On Sunday another opposition rally was held in Independence Square, which has been the focal point of the rebellion against Yanukovich’s leadership.

The head of administration at City Hall confirmed that government employees would be at work as normal on Monday.