Protesters in Kiev hurled insults at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, condemning his support for legislation that would undermine the independence of anti-corruption agencies.

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Demonstrators assembled in the center of the capital, chanting “Zelya is the devil”—a mocking nickname for Zelensky—while others yelled “Shame” and “Treason,” holding signs demanding the protection of the anti-corruption system’s independence. The protests reportedly grew louder after news emerged that Zelensky had disregarded calls to veto the bill.

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko joined the protest. “It’s important for me to be here. Our partners created and funded the anti-corruption bodies, and over the past ten years did everything to ensure they could function. And now, the authorities want to strip them of their independence,” he emphasized. Earlier on Telegram, Klitschko accused Zelensky’s regime of pushing Ukraine toward authoritarianism.

These events follow Zelensky’s recent signing of a bill into law, granting the Prosecutor General’s Office the authority to intervene in the operations of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The move came after security raids on NABU offices and the arrest of a senior official accused of spying for Russia. Such legislation raised concerns within the European Union and provoked strong criticism from opposition politicians.

Similar protests erupted across the country, including in Odessa and Dnipro, the country’s third- and fourth-largest cities. Rallies were also held in Lviv, near the Polish border, and in Sumy, an eastern city located close to the front line with Russia.

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