Some 150 activists representing pro-European protest rallies all over Ukraine came to Kharkiv on Jan. 11 for the first forum of EuroMaidans in an attempt to unite efforts around the nation to unite in opposition to President Viktor Yanukovych and to put the nation back on the track of European Union integration.
However, serious disruptions marred their attempts to gather. Some 18 people were detained for trying to break into a church where some activists were meeting, Kharkiv police reported. Officers also said they are investigating vandalism and violence at a bookstore where other activists met.
The participants divided into several thematic groups of some 20-25 people to discuss various issues including political demands, democracy, economy, education and culture.
“There are Maidans in many big and small cities but there is no coordination between them,” said Dmytro Kapranov, writer and publisher, who was leading a group for discussing of creative and cultural issues. “We are working now to create one joint Maidan.”
The eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, a former capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1919-1933 and the nation’s second largest city, is ruled by outspoken government supporters. They include pro-presidential Party of Regions Mayor Gennady Kernes and Oblast Governor Mykhailo Dobkin.
Consequently, the activists have faced numerous obstacles in organizing rallies and meetings.
Initially on Jan. 11, the church where some of the EuroMaidan activists were meeting was stormed by a group of athletically built young men — suspected to be paid provocateurs, possibly hired by government officials. Later, another group of activists had to halt their meeting in the book shop after attackers broke in, smashed windows and sprayed tear gas.
“Kharkiv authorities are showing who they are this way,” Kapranov said.
The activists are planning to issue a joint declaration outlining their plans and demands. The draft of declaration shared on the Facebook account of activist Olga Galabala contains longstanding requirements of the opposition, including the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and the heads of law enforcement agencies. It also aims to defeat the re-election bid of Yanukovych in 2015.
The draft proposal also contains demands to punish police officers guilty of violence against peaceful protesters on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and also calls for a halt to repression against opposition activists and pro-European political forces.
Kapranov, however, said the final version may undergo significant revisions after the discussions under way nationally.
