KYIV -- Police in Kyiv have used tear gas in an attempt to disperse hundreds of retired law enforcement officers as they tried to storm parliament during a protest for higher pensions.
Some of the retired law enforcement officers from across the country who had gathered in the capital on July 14 managed to force their way inside the Verkhovna Rada after parliamentary speaker Dmytro Razumkov did not meet with them outside the building.
After retreating amid volleys of tear gas, the demonstrators blocked streets in the area around the nearby government building.
The demonstration comes a day after Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, who had run the police force since 2014, unexpectedly offered his resignation without publicly providing an explanation.
The retired officers warned they will continue to hold rallies in front of the parliament until their demands for improved pensions are met.
