The crowd waiting to see democracy is good-humoured: but for how long?

As shafts of bright green laser light raked Kiev's thronged Independence Square last night and soft snowflakes carpeted thousands of disgruntled Ukrainians, Viktor Yushchenko rhythmically pumped his fist in the air and allowed himself a wry smile.

As shafts of bright green laser light raked Kiev's thronged Independence Square last night and soft snowflakes carpeted thousands of disgruntled Ukrainians, Viktor Yushchenko rhythmically pumped his fist in the air and allowed himself a wry smile.

The scene he surveyed obviously gave him satisfaction. As the electronic thermostat clicked to minus 4C, thousands of orange-clad supporters chanted his surname, the frenetic beeping of supportive car horns sounded near by and a sea of friendly flags moved from side to side in appreciation.

The moment he called for a national general strike and declared that an earlier decision from the electoral commission handing victory to his rival was illegal, a ripple of excitement convulsed the crowd, many of whom have been camped out in central Kiev in freezing conditions since Monday.

Directly opposite the real-life Mr Yushchenko, a giant banner representing a pre-election Yushchenko sagged gently in the hands of a group of students who had draped it over the façade of a starkly modernist shopping complex.

The Yushchenko on the banner was a young-looking fresh-faced man in a smart dark suit striding decisively into the future. The Yushchenko on the stage looked very different.

His face pockmarked by an alleged poisoning incident, the man looked much older and, though smiling, looked far less sure of himself.

Beneath the banner somebody had pasted a quotation by Edmund Burke: "The only thing that evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing." In the middle distance, a bank of neon advertising slogans shone down on the crowd with an incongruous golden McDonald's arch looming up behind Mr Yushchenko as Ukraine's blue and yellow flag fluttered in the centre of the square. On a giant television screen, what looked to be a dull soap opera blinked in the background with subtitles for the stoic crowds. At the base of an imposing stone and gilded column representing Ukraine, the Motherland, a phalanx of about 30 dark green military tents were pegged out as their shivering occupants drank mugs of tea and smoked cigarettes.

The atmosphere was more like a carnival than a revolution - friendly folksy music and soft feelgood pop pumping out from strategically placed speakers. The crowd was quiet and deafening by turns.

"There are many of us. We are all together and you can't defeat us," was a constant refrain, along with the regular chanting of "Yushchenko Yushchenko!" Although the crowds seemed mellow, they seemed deeply committed too and unwilling to throw in the towel. "We'll stand here for as long as it takes," said Ulana Holovatch, a vice-rector at Lviv's Ukrainian Catholic University. "It sounds silly but the reason there are so many people here is because the truth is on our side. It's as simple as that. They say there may be trouble. But I'm not afraid for myself; I am for my son who is also here. But I can't tell him to go home; this is the right place to be."

Pavlo Prystai, a student from outside Kiev, seemed particularly enthusiastic. "People have come from all over," he gushed, sucking hard on a cigarette. It's time for change." Stamping her feet to ward off the cold, Olga Kocherlga, a senior researcher at Kiev's prestigious Institute of Particle Physics, agreed. "Yushchenko is going to be the president and it's as simple as that. We're optimistic and all this is not going to stop until he is. If we weren't here, we'd be sitting at home, and what good would that be?"

Symbolically, mock tank traps guarded the entrances to some of the makeshift tent cities and an activist had glued a poster of a riot scene in the former Soviet republic of Georgia in which young women are seen to put roses into riot policemen's shields. "Don't shoot," read the caption.

Yura and Kolya, two 19-year-old banking students, said they did not think the situation would turn nasty. "Things are peaceful so far and although there are rumours that armour has been brought up to the centre we haven't seen any trouble yet." "Yanukovych may be the president from a legal point of view but on the other hand the law is the people and he is not the people's president."

Snow swirled as some people used the occasion to get drunk but they were a minority; most people had come there for a reason and they were not giving up. When Mr Yushchenko warned that the country was on the brink of civil war, it sounded a strange note. Nobody blinked an eyelid, however, and although the crowds may be peaceful now there is no telling how long their good humour will last.

REACTION FROM AROUND THE WORLD

EC president Jose Manuel Barroso:

"We regret that the Ukrainian authorities have not taken the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to democracy. This could affect our relations in the future. We hope that in the meantime, a political solution can be found and we call on restraint from all sides to achieve that goal."

Former Polish president Lech Walesa, who led the Solidarity trade union:

"I got a call from the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko. I told him right away I am in solidarity with him, and I'm ready to go - we just need to discuss what my role will be."

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder:

"I have nothing to question about what the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observer said, which was that massive electoral fraud took place in Ukraine."

Nato Secretary-General de Hoop Scheffer:

"A review of this election is absolutely necessary ... a review of this election and sticking to democratic principles ... this is the key to Nato Ukraine relations."

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana:

"The country is now at the crossroads. We cannot rule out the outbreak of violence."

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksander Kuzmuk:

"Despite all the rumours and provocative statements, I want to assure you that there have been no unplanned movements of troops or military equipment."

Outgoing Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma:

"This political farce being played out now ... is very dangerous and can lead to unforeseen consequences."