Thousands protest Ukraine parliament for lack of financing

Thousands of miners, Afghan and Donbas war veterans
and Chornobyl cleanup veterans gathered outside Ukraine’s parliament on June 19
to protest the government’s lack of funding for their concerns. The miners
called for greater state support for their industry, while the veterans
demanded higher payments and the return of benefits that had been cut, among
other demands. The raucous protest involved numerous brawls with National
Guardsmen, including several attempts to storm the building. At least eight law
enforcement officers were reportedly injured, and at least one protester was
arrested.

Zenon Zawada: Ukraine’s poor social and labor conditions, combined with high
inflation, has caused the government to lose support among the public, which
was evidenced by the president’s poll ratings collapse this year. This is
precisely the social tension the Russian government has sought to create in
Ukraine by diverting the government’s limited resources towards the war in
Donbas. Unfortunately, such social tension makes the political situation ripe
for Russia’s plans to destabilize the country further for the 2019 elections.
It’s worth noting that most of the protesting miners were from eastern Ukraine,
which is Russian-oriented.