Tymoshenko protests fizzle quickly after arrest

When the trial of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko resumed last Wednesday, the protest activity outside the court had already returned to near pre-arrest levels. Several hundred protestors had turned up the preceding Monday, before a one-day break, following Tymoshenko’s arrest on Friday, August 5. By far the largest presence on Wednesday and for the remainder of the week was that of the police, with more than 1,000 officers, according to Kyiv Post, milling around and more than 30 buses filled with officers lining Kyiv’s main streets, many of which were in full riot gear. The opposition has called for a large protest on Independence Day on August 24. Brad Wells: As we wrote in our desk note on August 9, the opposition movement does not look like it is in a position to build momentum right now. Tymoshenko remains a divisive figure domestically, with 60% of respondents in an April survey by the Razumkov Center disapproving of her activity (vs. 10% that fully supported her; by comparison, Yanukovych did marginally better with 49% disapproval and 11% full approval). Yanukovych has already cancelled Independence Day parades. In addition, the government’s impressive show of force on the streets is likely to further discourage potential sympathizers. Volodymyr Polishchuk, head of Kyiv’s police department, said last Thursday in a statement that 2-3 thousand officers would be on duty on August 24.