Things are really heating up in the Ukraine.
Hundreds of thousands have protested in the Ukraine over the past week in opposition to the President Viktor Yanukovych’s abrupt decision to reject a broad free-trade agreement with the European Union, and instead remain aligned with Russia. Many are now demanding his removal.
Protesters barricaded themselves in buildings like the city hall and barricaded Independence Square. What is fascinating is the age range of protesters, not just young people, but people of all ages, many older men and women among the protesters, signaling the broad range of dissent.
Another Lenin statue bites the dust:
Another #Lenin monument was toppled in #Ukraine last night, in town of Kotovsk in Odesa region http://t.co/g9tjeJflPV pic.twitter.com/ln0brJOFWx
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) December 9, 2013
The government appears to have responded by trying to suppress media and the political opposition.
Here is a chilling tape of government forces raiding the offices of the opposition Batkivshchyna party.
The government has tried to justify the attack claiming that this action was supported by a court order and the opposition was guilty of fraud and “abuse”.
Government forces reportedly took the opposition party’s computer servers and destroyed their offices:
Law enforcement also raided the offices of Vechirni Visti newspaper, online TV station INTV and news website Cenzor.net. The Kyiv Post has reported being DDOsed over night; they have been running continuous coverage of the events.
U.S. and EU representatives called for restraint by the government.
Catherine Ashton, representing the European Union is to meet with the embattled President today and has expressed concern:
“On the eve of my visit to Kyiv, I follow with concern the reports that police forces forcibly entered the office of the biggest opposition party, Batkivshchyna. This comes on the afternoon of the same day that President Yanukovych proposed the establishment of a national roundtable, bringing together the leaders of all political forces and the three former Presidents of Ukraine. These latest events seriously risk to derail the process. I call on the Ukrainian authorities to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from any further use of force, in order to give space for a negotiated solution out of the current political stalemate.”
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland has met with the opposition and Joe Biden warned President Yanukovych against attempting a violent crackdown on protesters.