Yesterday, Ukrainians in London UK protested against a government deal that will see France supply Russia with two Mistral warships. PM David Cameron and President Hollande are both due to meet with Putin to attend D-Day commemorations. The Ukrainian community in London formed London EuroMaidan in November and have been one of the most vocal and visible diaspora communities. To date they have organised over 150 protests including a 24-hour vigil on Whitehall opposite Downing Street for already 3 months.
An explosion today near the Lugansk Regional State Administration killed several people, including peaceful civilians. The building of the administration was damaged, as well as adjacent territory.
In Kerch, Crimea, shopkeepers and customers are having difficulties with the suspension of the hryvnia (Ukrainian currency). They cannot give Ukrainian coins as change in shops and supermarkets any longer, and there is still no supply of Russian change on the peninsula. A loaf of moulded bread costs 9 roubles and 12 kopets. ‘Selianskoye’ milk costs 33 roubles and 72 kopeks. But customers are asked to pay without change, and Ukrainian coins have no value.
In Kyiv, Klitshko has retracted his previous statement that the barricades should be removed from Maidan. As the new mayor of Kyiv, it seems he is (like other Kyivans) trying to negotiate, or figure out, what is best to be done to keep the spirit of Maidan, but also to allow business and life to resume. However, many of those continuing to occupy the tent village are pensioners and people from Donbass/Crimea who may not be able to return home. Therefore 'life resuming' or 'business as usual' may have no meaning for them.
Report from Kyiv, by Jonathan Barrow: Today there was a Viche, public meeting, on Maidan central square. One misassumption that I often come across is that the protest was predominantly a student/young people’s movement. You can trace events back to the tax demonstrations in 2010 (which I took part in–the tax reform was a clear attempt to create commercial monopolies); and the same kind of people were at the first big demo on European Square in November of 2013. At 44 years old, I was one of the younger faces in both events. The student and youth element, while noisy and colourful, is only part of the story. I would say that during the long, cold winter of 2013–14 the heart of the protest movement rested with 5,000 to 10, 000 mainly middle-aged guys. They found themselves trapped on Maidan–afraid to leave, fearing a knock on the door if they returned home.
At the Viche, people were calling for representatives of the government to come to Maidan next Sunday, to inform the public about their achievements to date and their strategy for the future. They believe that the government is failing to give out clear information. I fully agree with this–there is still a habit of secrecy, and propogandizing. This will be one of the hardest fights–reversing the attitude of the state towards the public. For this reason, I think Maidan–a focus and a tool of threat–must stay; I do not even think the main road (Khreshchatyk) should be re-opened. A further point being made was that, apparently, of 72 bills presented to the Rada–to reform the state–only two have been passed. In my view there is an increasingly pressing need to have new Rada Elections, or the old bunch (in essence, still there) might just regroup and re-solidify.
Up the hill from Maidan, the trees, lamp-posts and the corner of the Ukraina Hotel are pock-marked with bullet holes. Someone I knew got shot and killed here. I remember body after body being brought out on Thursday, February 21–though at the time I did not realise the number of deaths, neither did many others.
Looking up Khreshchatyk, towards Maidan. There are still maybe 300 to 400 Self-defense people scattered around. Some seem to be intent on seeing events through, distrustful (rightly so) of the government; others have little to go home to; still others (from Donbas/Crimea) may be unable to return.
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