The Maidan: how it all happened

A description of the basic facts compiled from accounts of participants:

 

 

 

Events started in November 21-24, 2013 and were triggered by the failure of President Yanukovich to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The protests were started by representatives of NGOs and students on Independence Square (Maidan) (2-3 thousand people every day). Several tents were put up with rotating young protesters constantly present. Meanwhile, on the closest square a rally began on the initiative of three opposition parties: Batkivshchyna (Yulia Tymoshenko), Udar (Vitaliy Klitschko) and radical-nationalists (Svoboda) – 2-3 thousand people. The opposition proposed they all unite, but protesters refused and invited the politicians to speak on Maidan without any political flags or symbols. From the very beginning, Maidan proclaimed itself a broad public movement.

 

 

The first massive rally was on November 24 in Kyiv (up to 100,000). On the same day large rallies were held in cities in the regions, while the government staged anti-Maidans under the slogan “No to homo-Europe!”. This marked the beginning of what is widely believed to be paid-by-the-government anti-maidan movement, less numerous than Maidan, but accompanying all protests.

 

 

On November 30, 2013, Saturday a small and purely peaceful rally of students and other young people takes place in Kyiv and it was brutally attacked at night by armed Berkut forces – a special unit of the internal troops. The young people were beaten and dispersed.

 

 

This triggered the first really huge public rally in Kyiv on Sunday, December 1: after a spontaneous call to protest by the opposition and NGOs, up to 500,000 protesters from Kyiv and other cities gather by the monument to poet Taras Shevchenko in Kyiv. They walked to the Independence Square. The Berkut troops that were guarding the fenced in square fled. The Maidan mass movement began under the slogans: “For human dignity!” and “Down with the government!”

 

 

After the December 1 events, on the weekends large peaceful Maidan assemblies started to gather up to 200-350 thousand people. They are called “Viches” (popular assemblies held by medieval Slavs). A central stage is constructed where opinion leaders of the Maidan and opposition politicians that contend for leadership of the Maidan movement speak. The tent city grew in size. Protesters occupied the Trade Union Building, Kyiv City Administration and several other buildings near Independence Square.

 

 

The Maidan infrastructure was organized through the efforts of volunteers, NGOs and protesters: supply of food, warm clothing, equipment for tents, firewood, a medical brigade, fundraising, etc. Barricades were erected along the perimeter of Independence Square. There was evidence that certain Ukrainian oligarchs helped finance some of the Maidan infrastructure.

 

January 19, 2014 saw a serious escalation of violence. The government announced the start of an anti-terrorist operation. There were mass clashes between protesters, on one side, and Berkut and other special units of the Interior Troops brought in from other regions of Ukraine, including Crimea.

 

 

In the following days the government launched a major attack against the protesters. Court processes were held where protesters, including random pedestrians, were convicted without investigation. Many were detained. Protesters that sought hospital treatment were detained. Some activists were kidnapped and tortured. Several of them were killed.

 

In response, the opposition in parliament demanded the government’s resignation, and amnesty for all protesters. The draconian laws were revoked by parliament. On January 28 the president accepted the prime minister’s resignation. On February 12 the president formed a coalition government. On February 15 the government released all the detainees. EuroMaidans in the regions unblocked government buildings. The opposition demanded a return to the previous constitution, which significantly limits the powers of the president.

 

On February 18-21, 2014 the situation on Maidan escalated sharply. During clashes between protesters and internal troops, unidentified snipers killed 77 protesters. This changed the situation dramatically. President Yanukovych made further concessions: Berkut pullout from Kyiv, signing an agreement with the opposition on the return to the previous constitution within two days. On February 22, as a result of a decisive turn of events on Maidan in favour of protesters and the opposition, Yanukovych fled from Ukraine to Russia.

 

The situation at that time started to resemble civil war. The main combat forces of the Maidan included the so-called Right Sector and its leader Yarosh, who is an ultra-right nationalist. Because of the presence of the Right Sector, opponents of the Maidan accused its participants of fascism.

 

The consequences of the Maidan were extremely far-reaching. There was change of power, new elections for president and parliament, and internal strife in some of the Eastern regions which led to the intervention of Russia. First, by the annexation of Crimea, and secondly, with rather open support for the rebels in the Donbas region.

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These facts could be given different interpretations. Whatever these are, however, they cannot be a conclusive reason or a justification for an armed invasion by a foreign country, annexation of parts of Ukrainian territory, and the unleashing of massive use of violence.