Who has massacred over eighty of demonstrators and cops gathered at Maidan Nezalezhnosti,Kiev Independence Square heart and symbol – up to that fateful February 20, 2014 – of the events in favor of the Association Agreement with the European Union ? Irakliy Dzneladze, Revolution through eyes of photograph. The agreement provided return to the constitution of 2004, that is to a parliamentary presidential government, carrying out early elections of the president until the end of 2014 and formation of "the government of national trust". Protests on 8 December saw record turnout in many Ukrainian cities, including several in eastern Ukraine. On February 18-20 th 2014 there was a major escalation of the violence on Kiev’s Maidan, ending in a massacre on the 20 th and ultimately in the overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanuykovych. The largest took place on 8 December in New York, with over 1,000 attending. The term "Euromaidan" was initially used as a hashtag on Twitter. On 19 January, a Sunday mass protest, the ninth in a row, took place gathering up to 200,000 in central Kyiv to protest against the new anti-protest laws, dubbed the Dictatorship laws. The rally in Lviv in support of the integration of Ukraine into the EU was initiated by the students of local universities. [280], Pravy Sektor coordinates its actions with Self-defence and is formally a 23-rd sotnia,[281] although already had hundreds of members at the time of registering as a sotnia. [242] The statue made out of stone was completely hacked to pieces by jubilant demonstrators. [226], On 29 November, Lviv protesters numbered some 20,000. To this very day, the official version from Kiev is the slaughter was conducted by the order of the Kremlin-backed [Yanukovych] government. The bullets were all identical. Oleh Tatarov, deputy chief of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Main Investigative Directorate under Yanukovych, claimed in January that "[t]he theory we are looking at is the killing was by unidentified persons. [362], The Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov, asked for 20 billion Euros (US$27 billion) in loans and aid from the EU[134] The EU was willing to offer 610 million euros (838 million US) in loans,[135] however Russia was willing to offer 15 billion US in loans. I was out of my mind, agitated, under stress, I did not understand anything. There was another guy in his uniform with him. [369], Fitch Ratings reported on 16 December that the (political) "standoff" had led to "greater the risk that political uncertainty will raise demand for foreign currency, causing additional reserve losses and increasing the risk of disorderly currency movement". The Associated Press said on 19 February: The latest bout of street violence began Tuesday when protesters attacked police lines and set fires outside parliament, accusing Yanukovych of ignoring their demands to enact constitutional reforms that would limit the president's power—a key opposition demand. The first suspects in the possession of firearms among the ranks of demonstrators, involve Serghey Pashinsky, a leader of Maidan Square, who became, after the fall of Yanukovych, chairman of the Kiev parliament. [137], An Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation survey of protesters conducted 7 and 8 December 2013 found that 92% of those who came to Kyiv from across Ukraine came on their own initiative, 6.3% was organised by a public movement, and 1.8% were organised by a party. Paet said he found it "really disturbing that now the new coalition [doesn't] want to investigate what exactly happened," and that "there is a stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers it was not Yanukovych, it was somebody from the new coalition. "[407], On 4 March 2014, the 2013–14 Eurocup Basketball Round of 16 game between BC Budivelnyk Kyiv and JSF Nanterre was moved to Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania. The police detained three of the protesters, including the leader of the Odessa branch of Democratic Alliance, Alexei Chorny. The lowest support for European integration was among people with incomplete secondary and higher education.[147]. On February 18th the clashes have become bloody, with about 30 casualties. [85] Events in Kyiv were soon followed by the Crimean crisis and pro-Russian unrest in Eastern Ukraine. (With English subtitles) Italian investigative journalist Gian Micalessin interviews three snipers who shot the people in Maidan square. In the beginning of March, thousands of Crimean Tatars in support of Euromaidan clashed with pro-Russian protesters in Simferopol. [253], On 22 January in Donetsk, two simultaneous rallies were held – one pro-Euromaidan and one pro-government. Which way Ukraine should go – which union should join? [287] Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office confirmed two deaths from gunshot wounds in Kyiv protests. [240], On 7 December it was reported that police were prohibiting those from Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk from driving to Kyiv.[241]. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, the interim head of Ukraine's SBU state security agency, said the agents were stationed in Kyiv during the entire Euromaidan protests, were provided with "state telecommunications" while residing at an SBU compound, and in regular contact with Ukrainian security officials. "People at Antimaidan stand for money only. [99], The term "Euromaidan" was initially used as a hashtag of Twitter. [84] Protesters gained control of the presidential administration and Yanukovych's private estate. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [169], On 29 November, a formal resolution by protest organisers made the following demands. Shortly after the agreement was signed, Yanukovych and other high government officials fled the country. ", "Ukrainian opposition calls for President Yanukovych's impeachment", "Thousands of Protesters in Ukraine Demand Leader's Resignation", "Two petition drives take aim at Yanukovych", "EuroMaidan passes an anti-Customs Union resolution", "Hereha closes Kyiv City Council meeting on Tuesday", "Jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed from prison, says official from her political party", Ukraine protests 'spread' into Russia-influenced east, Thousands mourn Ukraine protester amid unrest, "Ukraine's PM Azarov and government resign", "Law on amnesty of Ukrainian protesters to take effect on Feb 17", "Ukraine lawmakers offer protester amnesty", "Ukraine: Amnesty law fails to satisfy protesters", "Ruling majority takes hostages through new 'amnesty law, Ukraine parliament passes protest amnesty law, "Ukraine leader's sick leave prompts guessing game", Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych takes sick leave as amnesty, other moves fail to quell Kyiv protests, "Party of Regions, Communist Party banned in Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil regions", "Activity of Regions Party, Communist Party, Yanukovych's portraits banned in Drohobych", Cabinet resumed preparations for the association with the EU, "Dozens of Ukrainian Police Defect, Vow to Protect Protesters", "Українські студенти підтримали Євромайдан. Some 40 journalists were injured during the staged assault at Bankova Street on 1 December 2013. Returning from a trip to Kiev only 5 days after the massacre, [Paet] reported in a phone call to EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, revelations from a Ukrainian doctor who examined the cadavers of Maidan square. Notably, in December 2013, Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science,[265] Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company Tower in Buffalo,[266] Cira Centre in Philadelphia,[267] the Tbilisi City Hall in Georgia,[268] and Niagara Falls on the US/Canada border[269] were illuminated in blue and yellow as a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine. And in the meantime, the first shoots were heard. [302] For example, as Reuters' own investigation found out, the senior among arrested officers was missing his right hand after an accident 6 years ago. [106][nb 7] In the months leading up to the protests Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych urged the parliament to adopt laws so that Ukraine would meet the EU's criteria. Russia did not. According to a 4 to 9 December 2013 study[136] by Research & Branding Group 46% of Ukrainians supported the integration of the country into EU, and 36% into the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia. As a result of these events, the Agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine was signed on 21 February 2014 by the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and the leaders of the parliamentary opposition (Vitaly Klitschko, Arseny Yatsenyuk, Oleh Tyahnybok) under the mediation of the European Union and the Russian Federation. [155] Vitali Klitschko wrote in a tweet[156] "Friends! Lviv-based historian Yaroslav Hrytsak also remarked on the generational shift, This is a revolution of the generation that we call the contemporaries of Ukraine's independence (who were born around the time of 1991); it is more similar to the Occupy Wall Street protests or those in Istanbul demonstrations (of this year). That's all I can say. READ MORE: Reuters investigation exposes ‘serious flaws’ in Maidan massacre probe Police used tear gas and batons. They didn't believe in our ability to negotiate a good agreement and didn't believe in our commitment to implement a good agreement. It was mostly supported in Western (84%) and Central Ukraine (66%). Nearly a year after the massacre on Kiev's Maidan left over 50 dead, the BBC has aired footage of an opposition fighter who says he fired at police in the early morning that day, bringing into question the popular narrative that riot police fired first. The Molotovs, the shields and the sticks were used to the maximum.”, But in mid-February, clashes around Maidan begin to get worse. The motorcade was stopped a couple of hundred metres short of his residence. All three were beaten in the police vehicle and then taken to the Portofrankovsk Police Station without their arrival being recorded. I want to stress that the cartridges which were used to commit the murders were not used by, and are not in use of, the police. Political expert Anders Åslund commented on this aspect: Revolutionary times have their own logic that is very different from the logic of ordinary politics, as writers from Alexis de Tocqueville to Crane Brinton have taught. The bill would have made Ukrainian the sole state language at all levels. [292], On 18 and 19 February, at least 26 people were killed in clashes with police,[293] moreover, a self-defense soldier from Maidan was found dead. [355] The Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on release of all detainees during protest actions. On 31 January 2014, Vitali Sakal, first deputy chief of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Main Investigative Directorate told a press conference that "[w]e are pursuing several lines of inquiry into these murders, including [that they may have been committed] by Berkut (special police unit) officers. The Foreign Minister of Estonia, Ermas Paet, was the first one to dispute this. "We have substantiated grounds to consider that these very groups which were located at an SBU training ground took part in the planning and execution of activities of this so-called antiterrorist operation," said Nalyvaichenko. After a series of violent events towards protesters in Kyiv leaving 100 of them dead[181] President Yanukovych signed the Agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine. It's a revolution of young people who are very educated, people who are active in social media, who are mobile and 90 percent of whom have university degrees, but who don't have futures. [14] In the Russophone cities of Zaporizhzhya, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk, protesters also tried to take over their local government building, and were met with considerable force from both police and government supporters.[14]. The MVS has not ruled out that Berkut officers committed the killings. [176], The Euromaidan protest movement began late at night on 21 November 2013, as a peaceful protest. Ukraina channel on Tuesday, as reported in Tass on December 13th. February 29, 2020. [356], On the night of 22 February activists of Euromaidan seized the government quarter[357] left by law enforcement authorities and made a number of new demands—in particular, immediate resignation of the president Yanukovych. [294][unreliable source? Our story begins towards the end of summer 2017, in Skopye, the capital of Macedonia. [5] The protests led to the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Due to the regime's hegemony in the city, foreign commentators have suggested that, "For 500 marchers to assemble in Donetsk is the equivalent of 50,000 in Lviv or 500,000 in Kyiv. "[167] Former Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili has described the movement as "the first geopolitical revolution of the 21st century".[168]. [404][405], On 19 February, the Ukrainian athletes competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics asked for and were refused permission by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to wear black arm bands to honour those killed in the violent clashes in Kyiv. Somebody got shot in the head by a sniper. [76] A Twitter account named Euromaidan was created on the first day of the protests. “The Ukrainian uprising in 2013 was similar to the” Pink Revolution “that took place in Georgia years before. Volume 26, … “I asked him.” He replied that where he did not care, we had to shoot somewhere … to sow some chaos.“. Anti-government protesters carry an injured man on a stretcher after clashes with riot police in the Independence Square in Kiev February 20, 2014. Усі, хто", "Кличко: Зберемо 100 000 і підемо в гості на Банкову", "Юрій Луценко: У нас дві дороги – у в'язницю або до перемоги", "EuroMaidan vs. Orange Revolution, PR Magocsi (ЄвроМайдан)", In Ukraine, Protests Highlight 'Generational Rift'. Someone was hurt … someone was armed. [216] A rally in Simferopol, which drew around 300, saw nationalists and Crimean Tatars unite to support European integration; the protesters sang both the Ukrainian national anthem and the anthem of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen. He confirmed that many victims on both sides were shot by snipers, but they were shooting from other, taller buildings surrounding the Conservatory and was convinced they were snipers controlled by Russia. On 27 February armed men seized the Crimean parliament and raised the Russian flag. Dolinsky also pointed out that Ukrainian Jews overwhelmly supported and often participated in the Euromaidan protests. [320], In 2015 BBC published a story based on an interview with an anonymous sniper who said he was firing at anti-riot police from Conservatory (music academy) building on the morning of 20 January 2014. Riot police and government supporters cornered a group of people who were trying to seize government buildings. A former Special Forces Sergeant of Operations and Intelligence, Ronald Thomas West is a retired investigator (living in exile) whose work focus had been anti-corruption. A photographs of Volodymyr Topiy at memorials at Kiev’s Maidan Square to more than 100 protesters killed during 2014 anti-government protests. “About 15 and 16 February,” Nergadze remembers, “the situation has begun to become more serious every day. Then suddenly, after 15, 20 minutes the shooting ceased and everyone has put down the weapons. [125] The same day IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Jerome Vacher stated that this particular IMF loan is worth US$4 billion and that it would be linked with "policy, which would remove disproportions and stimulate growth". Riot police advanced towards Maidan and clashed with protesters but did not fully occupy it. Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. Search for: Consortiumnews. Somebody got shot! [119][120] The reason given was that the previous months Ukraine had experienced "a drop in industrial production and our relations with CIS countries". [96] Starting 23 January, several Western Ukrainian Oblast (province) Governor buildings and regional councils were occupied in a revolt by Euromaidan activists. There was fierce fighting in Kyiv on 18–20 February, (see List of people killed during Euromaidan). The parliament assigned early elections for May 2014. It is three months the Maidan square, in the heart of the capital, has been filled with protestors; who’ve been demanding the government and president, Victor Yanukovych, to sign an association agreement with the European Union. [137] 43% Of those polled thought that Euromaidan's consequences "sooner could be negative", while 31% of the respondents thought the opposite; 17% believed that Euromaidan would bring no negative consequences. This allowed parliament to pass a series of laws that removed police from Kyiv, canceled anti-protest operations, restored the 2004 constitution, freed political detainees, and removed President Yanukovych from office. [215] Protests also took place in other large Ukrainian cities: Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Lviv, and Uzhhorod. "[364], On 3 December, Azarov warned that Ukraine might not be able to fulfill its natural gas contracts with Russia. 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