Today at 12.00 in Lutsk, the protest marathon "Yes to Welfare! No to Dictatorship!" began; more than 2000 Volyn residents are participating in the rally. The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc also joined the action in Volyn. The opposition forces of Volyn stated that they will not allow the "corrupt and criminal government to destroy itself on its own native land!" The Ukrainian people deserve their own life! During the rally, it was emphasized that in Ukraine the collapse into poverty of the people continues, the standard of living declining to African levels, the dying out and mass departure abroad of the most able-bodied and capable part of Ukrainians. In the speech of the head of the regional representation of "Our Ukraine," Volodymyr Bondar, it was said that the current government — the government of Kuchma and Yanukovych — continues in the most brutal manner to fleece the people, depriving ordinary people of basic salaries and pensions, hiding colossal sums of budget funds for bribery in the upcoming presidential elections. "The agonizing government, for the sake of its own salvation, has taken extreme measures — it is subjugating the security structures, including the judicial bodies, turning them into blind executors of the illegal dealings of the ruling clans," he said. An example of this: the cold-blooded and cynical falsification of elections in Mukachevo and the feverish loyal "yapping" in the timely invented by Russian imperial forces "Single Economic Space" — emphasized the people's deputy. Volodymyr Bondar expressed the conviction that "today's rulers well understand — the end of their rule is approaching, they have no chances of winning in honest elections, therefore they hope and count only on police pressure within the country and the support of Eurasian capital. They hope to hide after their own people drive them out, in cottages and dachas near Moscow, therefore they serve not the Ukrainian people, but their true patrons." Volodymyr Bondar noted that the protest action "Yes to Welfare! No to Dictatorship!" in various forms will continue "until the complete replacement of the current regime with a truly Ukrainian government" and invited all citizens not indifferent to the fate of Ukraine to join common actions and organized protection of their rights and freedoms. The participants of the rally were also addressed by people's deputies of Ukraine, members of the "Our Ukraine" faction Borys Zahreva and Ivan Zayets, head of the regional organization of the People's Rukh of Ukraine, deputy of the regional council Volodymyr Banada, head of the Volyn regional organization of the "Batkivshchyna" party Mykola Potapchuk, representative of the "Svoboda" party Ruslan Tymoshchuk, head of the regional organization of the "URP-Sobor" party Hennadiy Kozhevnikov.
The rally of opposition forces in Lutsk testified: Volyn residents have not felt the results of the work of today's Government headed by Viktor Yanukovych. The Ukrainian public does not see those achievements about which the government officials speak so loudly. "There will be no real economic changes in Ukraine until a 'bunch of oligarchs' is in power," said in his speech the head of the regional representation of the "Our Ukraine" bloc, Volodymyr Bondar. "They strive to bring our people to their knees, taking away the last crumbs of hope for a better life. But let neither Yanukovych, nor the Volyn governor Frantsuz, nor the guarantor of our shortcomings Kuchma hope for this — the Ukrainian people will not kneel. For it is not given to anyone to bring the proud and free people to their knees." Viktor Yushchenko's "Our Ukraine" bloc and Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc will consistently and together fight so that this does not happen. We will consciously and fundamentally defend the interests of our people, — assured the people's deputy. The participants of the protest marathon "Yes to Welfare! No to Dictatorship" in Lutsk unanimously adopted a Resolution in which they demand from the Government to return the hidden 10 billion hryvnias, raise the minimum wage to 240 hryvnias, increase pensions by 30%, scholarships to 170 hryvnias, recognize as state debt and return the debts from social payments to educators, as provided by Art. 57 of the Law "On Education." From the local authorities, the rally participants demand a reduction of tariffs for housing and communal services, freezing of prices for bread, essential goods and medicines, elimination of illegal extortions, real assistance to the development of entrepreneurship, cessation of the plundering of peasants' property, prevention of the predatory sale of land. The Resolution of the rally states: "Government! Do not hinder us from ensuring our welfare through honest work! We demand the observance of our rights! We will win!" In addition, Volyn residents supported the May Day Address of the leader of the "Our Ukraine" Bloc, Viktor Yushchenko. The action in Lutsk has ended, but the protest marathon will continue in the districts of the Volyn region. At 16:00, opposition actions will begin in Kovel, Volodymyr-Volynskyi, and Novovolynsk.