In the confusing world of Ukrainian politics where theatrical acts are a constant presence, it is difficult to determine who is a paid or genuine protester, a provocateur or a concerned citizen.
Every
stripe of demonstrator was present in central Kyiv on Nov. 24 and on the
morning of Nov. 25. Some went out of their way to distinguish themselves as
bona fide protesters by affixing stickers on their coats that read: “I was not
paid money to be here.”
With
respect to the scuffles between the police and protesters at the Cabinet of
Ministers building, the Interior Ministry released a statement urging
protesters “…not to be led by provocateurs who incite people to action.”
The
statement
continued: “Event organizers have tried to provoke people to attack the
government of Ukraine (building). It has come to our attention that unknown
people from the crowd have thrown a few smoke bombs at the police, and made
an effort to break into the government building, but the protesters were
stopped by police.”
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The
Kyiv Post saw young men spray riot police with tear gas in front of the Cabinet
building on Nov. 24. But that attack came in response to a path that police
formed to allow athletic men with civilian clothes to arrive by bus. Such hired
thugs have been used to disrupt protests, attack journalists and incite fights.
The obviously suspicion is that the government hires these men to start trouble
and make it look like the other side instigated the trouble. But the reality is
more confusing. People with identifiable affiliations with the opposition
Svoboda party have been known to use tear gas at demonstrations, something that
the party denies.
A
recent use of so-called hired provocateurs came on May 18 when a Bila Tserkva
resident Vadim Titushko was identified as attacking two journalists at a
political rally.
Media and activists dug deep into the photo
archives on social media and news websites to look for traces of the attackers
and discovered that these athletic young men were no strangers to rallies and
other controversial events, including raider attacks on residential
properties.
In a video posted on Youtube on May 20,
Titushko confessed that he was hired for Hr 250 to guard a rally, but he
insisted it was the opposition who did it. His confession contradicts multiples
pieces of photographic and video evidence that tracked him back to a rally by
the ruling pro-presidential Party of Regions, which he was clearly guarding on
May 18 – just hours before the two journalists were beaten.
Titushko is a trained, competitive fighter.
Various media reported that he was seen training in a Bila Tserkva fight club
owned by a Party of Regions member. But during the May 21 parliamentary
hearing about the incident, an opposition member alleged that Titushko trained
in a gym affiliated with one of Interior Ministry’s subdivisions. Interior Minister
Vitaliy Zakharchenko did not deny it, insisting instead that it shouldn’t
matter where a person trains.
Radio
Free Europe Radio Liberty released a video showing the ensuing clash involving
the plain-clothed athletes on the side of police with both
sides exchanging tear gas spraying.
In
turn, the Interior Ministry released
a video that shows protesters removing the security gate in front of the
Cabinet building on Nov. 24. The scene shows protesters first spraying the
police and they responding in-kind.
Police,
in addition, said smoke bombs were thrown at the police from the crowd, including
two pieces of street pavement.
“As
a result, a Berkut special forces officer was injured while protecting the
Cabinet of Ministers building,” stated the police.
The
nationalist Svoboda party, which had the heaviest presence at the Cabinet building
yesterday and today, however accused the police of provoking crowds.
The
political party stated that when a vehicle attempted to enter the Cabinet
parking area by driving through the crowd, riot police “tried push the
activists onto the sidewalk, thus inciting a fight.”
“Creating
a corridor for the government building, the Berkut (riot police) attacked the
protesters, among whom were women and the elderly,” today’s Svoboda statement
read. “One protester’s nose was broken by the Berkut as a result.”
Svoboda
added that riot police broke one arm of Oleksandr Svydovsky, a fellow party
member who was later taken to the Pechersk police station before being placed
in an ambulance to receive medical care.
Kyiv Post editor Mark Rachkevych can
be reached at rachkevych@kyivpost.com.
