Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 24

Posted on by adecolley

FROM MY PAL IN KYIV (who is not the writer of the above tweet). The strong views of what he thinks will happen are his.

January 24, 11pm:

Pretty sure this weekend will decide it. People are flooding into Kyiv and more people in the city than ever are saying they will demonstrate, so there will be big/moderate turnout.

Many people are prepared for battle, there are large stocks of bulletproof vests, petrol bombs around conflict areas.

About 1,000 men must now win or face at least 15 year prison by new laws, but they believe the govt will kill them.

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv, protests – January 24

Euromaidan’s art revolution

Posted on by adecolley

20131209-121752.jpg One of the most extraordinary features of the Euromaidan movement in Ukraine is that it has sparked a welter of artistic efforts to capture the national spirit.

Artists can be seen painting in Independent Square and their works are on the walls of the Globus shopping centre.

So Euromaidan is not only a political movement but it has a cultural, artistic impetus.

Apart from the art there’s also constant entertainment from the main stage which has featured such magnificent acts as Dakh Daughters about whom I could gurgle all day.

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Lutheranska pictures, Kyiv

Posted on by adecolley

fire2This particular barricade was pretty flimsy by the standards of the barricades erected by protesters over the last week or so in central Kyiv.

About 100 metres away is an encampment.

It is about 30 yards square and maybe 600 metres from Independence Square in Kyiv.

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Euromaidan, Kyiv – December 9

Posted on by adecolley

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21.00 – people are heeding social media calls to swell numbers in the centre. Atmosphere fairly jolly. Protesters that I have seen in Lutheranska/Institutska area roaming the streets are not carrying sticks.

18.15 – in the last hour police have started to blockade a camp set up by protesters in Lutheranska.

This was set up by opposition activists yesterday opposite a row of riot police guarding an entrance to the Presidential Administration in a bid to disrupt government operations.

Two of the remaining three exits were sealed and an operation to remove a barricade 100 metres away began.

The oil drum fire used by protesters sizzles after police move to clear a small barricade
The oil drum fire used by protesters sizzles after police move to clear a small barricade

Continue reading Euromaidan, Kyiv – December 9

Еuromaidan, Kyiv, protests – December 2

Posted on by adecolley

20131202-134506.jpgCrikey! Come to Ukraine on holiday and a national crisis emerges. Am in Dnipropetrovsk today but head to Kyiv tomorrow to watch events unfold, and report on them.

I’ve seen small protests in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk in the last week, and been told, though can’t confirm, protests here in DP and Lugansk were attacked.

Students at a university class I taught at last Monday in Lugansk seemed unconcerned by events the previous weekend.

Continue reading Еuromaidan, Kyiv, protests – December 2