Faces: Maidan, anti-Maidan, police. Sketches on Freedom Square, April 7, 2014.
Sketches from Freedom Square. Separatist attacks on peaceful civilians under the indulgence of the militia did not get into the frame (I just happened to be leaving at that time), but you can still understand a lot from the faces...
Yesterday evening, the Kharkiv regional administration was seized by pro-Russian demonstrators. Yesterday there were also mass fights in the city, and attempts by "native Kharkiv residents" to summon the mayor from the Shevchenko Theater (they confused it with the city council, they don't know where to look), and the calm surrender of the "White House" to the attackers, and another raising of the Russian flag over the main administrative building of Kharkiv. In the morning, I sent my wife to the maternity hospital (having agreed that if they kept her to give birth, she would "vomit" me), and I myself went to the square. Citizens were being gathered there and informed that there were few people. I arrived. And, frankly, I relaxed prematurely. Children were drawing the Ukrainian flag. I immediately met friends. A Facebook friend, almost unknown to me in person before, recognized me, and then even told me about his research on intracellular selection of cell clones in plants (very interesting!). It seemed good and safe...
The lower floors of the "White House" (Regional State Administration) are occupied by separatists. They are also at the entrance and under the building. Then a police cordon. Behind it - normal citizens. "Maidan".
Some with flags. Some on bicycles. Some just like us: came out to express disagreement with the actions of traitors calling for Russian troops
There is an interesting collection of flags under the administration building
What kind of person must you be to come out under a banner with a portrait of Stalin?
The Maidan is singing the anthem
The faces are different. I didn't choose them particularly
Girls in wreaths...
The police are between the Maidan and the anti-Maidan
The police are holding a free lane, along which bosses, journalists, and photographers are walking. The Maidan has broken up into groups discussing the situation.
The police force seems sufficient, and new ones are arriving. In defense...
I had a feeling (which later turned out to be mistaken) that the situation was completely peaceful.
This is visual agitation from one side...
...and this is from the other. By the way, these are the same people who demanded respect, not terror, who half an hour later would beat "enemies" with crowbars - those who stood with Ukrainian flags.
And now - just look at their faces...
Kharkiv residents? Gastarbeiters?
Indeed, interesting specimens are encountered?
And here is a face from the other side… Alik, smoking is harmful!!!
I didn’t filter photos with faces. True, others? And here we relaxed. I called colleagues who had been standing since morning to have coffee at the university. We went, I brewed three or four cezves one after another, we drank, and went back. And then it turned out that while we were walking, separatists from under the Regional State Administration attacked the square. A group of thugs with covered faces, with bats and iron rods, came out. They passed freely through the police line and attacked those who were standing with Ukrainian flags. They beat them without mercy. The police stood and watched. When asked why they weren’t intervening, the police replied that they had no orders. This is how my colleague, Oleksandr Akulov (he also posted photos on his Facebook page taken at the same place and time), describes the events: “The time appointed by the separatists came – 12 o’clock. There were more and more of us. Their ranks were replenished much weaker. It became clear whose side Kharkiv was on. It became clear that the scenario was falling apart. And this, despite it being a workday (Monday), the self-organization of people, yesterday’s demonstrative beating, Avakov’s warning that everything was under control… And by this time, the situation began to change dramatically. The number of Russian flags sharply increased near the Regional State Administration, people in masks appeared with bats, chains, crowbars. Many had tattoos. Many wore orange helmets and body armor. And now look at the faces again. Around one in the afternoon, it became completely obvious that if nothing was done, there would be a catastrophic number of people with Ukrainian flags. Many would find out what was happening, many would finish their workday. And decisions about independence had to be made, Putin had to be called to 'save us from the hateful Banderites'… And then the most terrible thing happened. Several militants ran to our side of the road and staged a demonstrative provocation. I didn’t expect this. Moreover, due to the crowd, I didn’t understand what exactly happened. But someone started getting beaten there. The already small group of police officers and Euromaidan men moved there. And at this time, groups of militants entered from the side and began to beat unarmed people with Ukrainian symbols. Regardless of gender or age. They all had body armor, helmets, armbands. Armed with bats, crowbars, chains. Some had traumatic pistols. Explosive packets and empty vodka bottles were thrown at people… The police behaved strangely. They didn’t even try to detain any of the attackers. At best, they helped disperse the beaten and the attackers. Many just stood and watched. When a woman asked a policeman for help, he replied: “You sold yourselves to the Americans, let them protect you.” People tried to hide in the metro, but an announcement was made over the loudspeaker: “Dear passengers, the metro station is closed. Please proceed to the exit.” As a result, many were forced to flee either towards the Gosprom building or down Sumska Street. The militants brazenly ran up and chased them. The police again detained no one… Thus, a numerically small group of militants, with the assistance of the police, dispersed the pro-Ukrainian rally. Many were beaten on our side. After some time, the number of police increased, the militants retreated to the Regional State Administration building. The square was again surrounded by a chain of police (this time with shields and helmets). But only pathetic remnants of our rally remained, and the separatists rejoiced and began to escalate their rhetoric. Like, Donetsk region has declared independence. Now it’s our turn… The cops don’t care…” And here is a quote from here (and there are many photos there too): “One guy opened fire from a traumatic pistol. A group of pro-Ukrainian activists detained the shooter and handed him over to the police. However, the 'law enforcement officers' immediately released him.” And, finally, here is the text from a former biology faculty graduate, Inna Romenska. It first appeared on Facebook, and then spread in the media. I met Inna right after the described dispersal. So, after these links, I will return to my story. The nightmare we missed was over. The attackers dispersed the Maidan and went to the “White House.” Ambulances took away the wounded. And then, after drinking coffee, we arrived… Here. In the square – no one with Ukrainian flags, everyone – either with mock banners or under the flag of the occupying country.
The only Ukrainian flag is in the corner near the metro entrance.
We still went to the square again.
The situation is completely different now.
The police (it seems, not weak guys) are walking around as if nothing happened.
The separatists have expanded their zone.
On the edges – arguments. And the arguments are almost the same. “— Why do you want another state to attack our country?” “— The government was seized by Banderites who want to ban the Russian language and kill Russians! Russia will protect us!” “— How do you know that Banderites want to kill anyone?” “— Everyone knows that! Look at the nightmare they’ve created! If it weren’t for our Russian brothers and Putin, we would have been killed already!”
And not a trace of cognitive dissonance!
After some time, the Maidan regenerated. True, now there were many anti-Maidan participants among the Maidan supporters.
More police… They are walking down the street, the bosses are in front. To jump ahead, I’ll say that they didn’t protect us from the second attack by the separatists either.
The police surrounded the Maidan from four sides.
Inside, they are also handing out “St. George’s ribbons”...
...and Ukrainian
So what, you might ask, were they afraid of the attackers? No, they shouldn’t have been. Then why are they needed?
Traces of the attack…
And it all starts over. In these photos, the “White House” is still white. Now, in the evening, as I upload the photos, it has already turned black: it was vandalized.
Having made sure that the Maidan was protected by police cordons, I left in the evening. I arrived home and found out that there had been another attack. The police again could do nothing and watched with interest as the separatists beat people for Ukrainian flags. And in the evening, the separatists were pushed out of the Regional State Administration (it seems, according to a separatist streamer, this was done by the Poltava police). The separatists set fire to the administration. Poltava and Sumy police managed to extinguish the building. And then the Kharkiv police arrived and, to the cheers of the separatists, let them back in. The Minister of Internal Affairs said that everything was under control. So, what awaits us tomorrow in this case?