KYIV, Nov 1 - Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Kyiv on Friday in protest of a court ruling that threatens to derail Ukraine’s anti-graft reform amid looming constitutional crisis.

The ruling by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine last week made it unconstitutional to hold officials criminally liable for providing false information on asset declarations, reversing anti-corruption legislation of the past five years.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for terminating judges of the court along with declaring the ruling null and void. But the calls don’t comply with the constitution, which provides no options for reversing the ruling.

The protest on Friday shows there is growing popular support for a tough response against the court’s ruling. Protesters held posters reading "the Corruption Court of Ukraine" and "Out the pigs of the Constitutional Court."

Police did not intervene even when protesters threw smoke grenades into the court building and threatened to move in, while some set tires ablaze.

The ruling creates a major dilemma for Ukraine. If left untouched, it would most certainly lead to termination of Ukraine’s relations with the International Monetary Fund, scrapping $5 billion in assistance. It may also undermine Ukraine’s political association with the European Union, which threatened to suspend its visa-free regime with the country.

The protests come as political groups in Ukraine are looking for a legal solution that would resolve the problem. The constitution does not allow terminating judges of the Constitutional Court, neither by the president nor by Parliament, unless they voluntarily agree to resign. Also, the court ruling cannot be reversed.

Zelenskiy aid Sunday the solution must be found as soon as possible, and once again reiterated his promise to continue anti-corruption reforms. He chose a harsh rhetoric against the judges of the Constitutional Court.

“All the devils from political hell reveal their true faces on Halloween. So, this is what happened,” Zelenskiy said. “And you know very well the names of those devils."

Zelenskiy defended the idea of terminating the judges, all of whom had been appointed by previous administrations, many by former President Viktor Yanukovych, an ultra-corrupt politician who had been deposed in 2014 and fled to Russia.

"Don't we want officials that report to society? Or for state resources to be distributed fairly, not just in favor of certain oligarchs?” Zelenskiy asked. “We, the society, have repeatedly said - yes, we want the new order.”

"Our full freedom is on the line. A full-fledged modern state, where any official can and should declare his income and go to prison if his expenses far exceed his income," Zelenskiy said. (tl/ez)