Ukraine EuroMaidan movement erupts in most violence since its launch

Ukraine’s capital erupted on Jan. 19 in the most violence since the launch of the Euromaidan protest movement in late November. Police forces blocked attempts by thousands to break through a blockade the government established to prevent protesters from reaching the Cabinet of Ministers and parliament buildings. They used tear gas, sonic grenades, and rubber bullets against demonstrators, also soaking them in water pumped from hoses amidst freezing temperatures.

 

From their end, protesters set police buses ablaze and hurled objects at police, including cobblestones removed from the streets. The all-night conflicts were provoked in the afternoon by a group of unknown men – believed to be radicals – who attacked with wooden batons police guarding the blockades. Some identified these men as provocateurs hired by the state to escalate the conflict into a violent one, which would give the government the pretext to use force and liquidate the EuroMaidan, which continues to occupy Kyiv’s main boulevard Khreshchatyk, Independence Square and the Kyiv City Council building.

 

More than 100 were injured as a result of the conflicts, including 49 police officers, Maidan Commander and Fatherland MP Andriy Parubiy and Fatherland MP Lesia Orobets, who reported being attacked by police as she photographed them handing out grenades. Police reported arresting more than 20 protesters, as well as at least two journalists. They are from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and reported being beaten.

 

The U.S. White House issued a Jan. 19 statement expressing its deep concern with the violence, urging both sides to immediately de-escalate the situation. “The increasing tension in Ukraine is a direct consequence of the government failing to acknowledge the legitimate grievances of its people,” the statement said. “Instead, it has moved to weaken the foundations of Ukraine’s democracy by criminalizing peaceful protest and stripping civil society and political opponents of key democratic protections under the law.” Ukraine’s parliament approved in dubious fashion on Jan. 16 a series of laws that made illegal many of the peaceful forms of protest embraced by the EuroMaidan, including driving to the suburban mansions of state officials, drawing criticism from the West.

 

The White House urged the Ukrainian government to repeal the anti-democratic legislation signed into law in recent days, withdraw riot police from downtown Kyiv, and begin a dialogue with the political opposition. “From its first days, the Maidan movement has been defined by a spirit of non-violence and we support today’s call by opposition political leaders to reestablish that principle,” the statement said, adding the U.S. government will continue to consider additional steps, including sanctions, in response to the use of violence.

 

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said he’s ready to begin negotiations with opposition leaders, said Arseniy Yatsenyuk, parliamentary faction chair of the Fatherland party. He said he received a phone call from the president indicating as much. Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) Chair Vitali Klitschko said he was allowed into the president’s residential compound and was promised that a commission would be formed on Monday involving representatives from the Presidential Administration, Cabinet of Ministers and opposition to resolve the nation’s political crisis.

 

Before the violent clashes, opposition leaders addressed the crowds from the EuroMaidan stage and were met with widespread dissatisfaction. Some held signs that said, “Plan of action!!!,” while others demanded that they determine a leader for the protest movement. As his response, Yatsenyuk declared the EuroMaidan’s leader is “the Ukrainian people,” which drew many sighs of dismissal within the audience.

 

As their plan of action, the opposition leaders proposed forming a People’s Council as a shadow government made up of opposition MPs, and returning to the 2004 constitution that created a presidential-parliamentary government. They also proposed pre-term presidential elections organized by the citizenry, which will also hold elections for the Kyiv City Council and its chair, which the government neglected to arrange last year.

 

Zenon Zawada: We agree with the U.S. government’s assessment of the situation, including the causes that led up to its escalation. Yet another factor in the unprecedented eruption of violence from the protesters that deserves consideration is the rift that has emerged between them and the leaders of the three opposition political parties, who clearly don’t control the EuroMaidan and in turn, don’t enjoy its trust.

 

The EuroMaidan has reached its crisis point. Its protesters have begun to use violent methods (as provoked by the government in its forbidding of peaceful methods), which deeply distresses the leaders of the opposition parties, who vowed to keep the protest nonviolent (presidential contender Klitschko even wedged himself between the wooden baton attackers and police to call for a halt). Even more distressing is the deteriorating trust that protesters have for the opposition politicians, many of which retire to their comfortable homes (or even go on European vacations) while protesters freeze in sub-zero weather.

 

The leaders of the three opposition parties (which include Yatsenyuk and Klitschko) will likely be trying to hammer out some compromise with the Yanukovych administration by Ukraine’s Unity Day holiday, on Jan. 22. We don’t see them gaining many concessions and anything short of Yanukovych’s resignation won’t satisfy the EuroMaidan. Meanwhile, former Internal Affairs Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, among the few leaders who enjoys the public’s trust, called for storming the Presidential Administration on Jan. 22, inviting citizens to arrive in buses and tractors and “fight for a free Ukraine.”

 

So leading up to Wednesday, we expect to see the rift to grow between the opposition politicians – concerned about their image and poll ratings, in Lutsenko’s words – and tens of thousands of EuroMaidan protesters attempting to storm the Presidential Administration.

 

Meanwhile, we’re not sure how the opposition plans to hold its own elections and form its own parliament and Kyiv City Council without adequate financing and organization. We don’t see its plan of action as satisfying the EuroMaidan protests or resolving the conflict with the government.