Ukraine protesters demand that government go

• President Viktor Yanukovych calls for calm
• Thousands block entry to government buildings
• Angry lawmakers quit parliament

KIEV, Ukraine — Tens of thousands of Ukrainians poured onto the streets of the capital Monday to demand the ouster of the government for bowing to pressure from Russia not to sign a trade pact with the European Union.

The demonstrations Monday and over the weekend were the biggest since the Orange Revolution nine years ago forced elections over allegations of vote-rigging and meddling from Moscow.

President Viktor Yanukovych called for calm as thousands of demonstrators blocked entry to government buildings in Kiev and three of his party members quit the parliament in protest of his actions.

Holding banners reading, "The nation is against the government," "Yanukovych, go to prison," and "No Putin, no cry," the demonstrators blockaded streets and occupied City Hall on Sunday when 1.6 million rallied on the capital.

Yanukovych said one reason he decided against signing a trade pact with the EU was to maintain better ties with Russia and its president, Vladmir Putin, who strongly opposed the EU deal.

The Guardian reports that many Ukrainians believe Moscow offered financial incentives for Ukraine not to sign and threatened punitive measures, such as curbing Russian gas supplies to Ukraine this winter, if it did.

The long-awaited pact would have created freer trade with Europe and had been scheduled for signing Friday in Vilnius, the capital of neighboring Lithuania. Yanukovych refused to sign, saying the EU had not offered enough financial help for Ukraine's ailing economy.

Demonstrators filled the streets of Kiev on Sunday, and many were beaten by police. Putin called the protests "pogroms," a reference to the 19th-century Russian attacks on ethnic groups and Jews. Yanukovych appeared on Ukrainian television Monday evening to try to end the siege.

"When we say that we are building a democratic state, a democratic society — and we are all citizens of one nation — it is important for all members of this society and participants in these processes to adhere to the law," he said.

Since his election in February 2010, Yanukovych has sought to reassure Ukrainians he could pursue close ties with Europe while managing relations with Moscow, which under Putin has taken a heavy hand in Ukraine, a captive of the former Soviet Union until its independence in 1991.

Many Ukrainians chafe at Moscow's influence and hoped the EU pact would improve the standard of living and lessen economic dependence on Russia. Ukrainians are among the poorest people in Europe.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Monday that the EU is ready to sign the pact. Yanukovych asked Barroso if he could send a delegation to discuss some aspects of the association agreement.

"At first, I took to the streets because I wanted Ukraine to get closer with EU, but then I witnessed in person what police did to the protesters (during the raid)," said Natalia Kyrychenko, a university student standing outside City Hall, jumping to warm herself in the frigid temperature. "Now I want the impeachment of the president – he and his government must leave. I will stand here until they go."

Opposition leaders called for continued protests, and some officials, such as the police chief of Kiev, stepped down Saturday.

"They're not protesting against Russia, they're protesting against him (the president)," said Andrew Wilson, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations in London. "His priority is to stay in power, to keep his corruption opportunities available. Europe kind of symbolizes the hope for a change in government and a better life."

Kyrychenko says she hopes Ukraine will get a deal with the EU, believing it will help the economic situation of the former Soviet bloc country and help young people such as herself find good jobs after graduation.

Though the protests have seen moments of police brutality, at times, they resembled a celebration. Participants wore yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags around their shoulders and chanted, "Together to the victory!" and "Bandits out!" before breaking into song, in this case Ukraine's national anthem.

Some say they feel compelled to stay on Independence Square.

"I have to be here, because we are only safe from the police when there is a big crowd," says Danylo Shilov, 19, a college student walking the square. Shilov said professors allowed students absences from class for the rally.

The protests pitted Yanukovych, 63, against his longtime rival, Yulia Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko, 53, led the Orange Revolution that blocked Yanukovych's first bid for the presidency in 2004.

Tymoshenko was imprisoned in 2010 shortly after Yanukovych won the presidency. She was accused of abuse of office. The still-imprisoned Tymoshenko called on Ukrainians to "resist and rise up against Yanukovych and his dictatorship."

Contributing: Associated Press, Doug Stanglin