Kiev Riots

Jason P
Jason P Posts: 19,327
in A Moving Train
Crazy that this situation is getting more media attention. It makes the Egypt uprising look like a trip to the beach as of now. See the link below for an explanation of what is behind it.

A Ukrainian Journalist Explains 10 Things The West Needs To Know About The Situation In Kiev

[Editor's note: This article was submitted to Business Insider by Taras Ilkiv, who felt that outsiders needed to understand these 10 things to really comprehend the situation in Kiev. Ilkiv is the Editor-In-Chief of Newsradio.com.ua, the website for Voice of Capital radio, and formerly an editor at Korrespondent.net. He is from Ivano-Frankivsk in Western Ukraine, and has lived in Kiev for the past seven years. The opinions expressed in this article are his own.]

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/understanding-euromaidan-2014-1#ixzz2rG2oUY1Q
Be Excellent To Each Other
Party On, Dudes!
«134

Comments

  • dignin
    dignin Posts: 9,478
    I also wonder why there is not more coverage here in North America.


    Protester stripped naked and abused by police. NSFW

    http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2014/01/23/7010998/


    And here is a live stream of the protests

    http://www.ustream.tv/channel/euromajdan/pop-out

    And more links about these events can be found here

    http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1vwshh/ukraine_revolt_livestream_sticky_post/cewjqb8


  • Jason P
    Jason P Posts: 19,327
    This unrest seems to mirror Syria in the fact that both the EU and Russian interest in the Ukraine will prevent outside mediation from helping solve the unrest.
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • Drowned Out
    Drowned Out Posts: 6,056
    This is so messed:


    Maybe the Most Orwellian Text Message a Government's Ever Sent
    http://motherboard.vice.com/en_ca/blog/maybe-the-most-orwellian-text-message-ever-sent“

    Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance.”

    That's a text message that thousands of Ukrainian protesters spontaneously received on their cell phones today, as a new law prohibiting public demonstrations went into effect. It was the regime's police force, sending protesters the perfectly dystopian text message to accompany the newly minted, perfectly dystopian legislation. In fact, it's downright Orwellian (and I hate that adjective, and only use it when absolutely necessary, I swear).

    But that's what this is: it's technology employed to detect noncompliance, to hone in on dissent. The NY Times reports that the "Ukrainian government used telephone technology to pinpoint the locations of cell phones in use near clashes between riot police officers and protesters early on Tuesday." Near. Using a cell phone near a clash lands you on the regime's hit list.

    See, Kiev is tearing itself to shreds right now, but since we're kind of burned out on protests, riots, and revolutions at the moment, it's being treated as below-the-fold news. Somehow, the fact that over a million people are marching, camping out, and battling with Ukraine's increasingly authoritarian government is barely making a ripple behind such blockbuster news bits as bridge closures and polar vortexes. Yes, even though protesters are literally building catapaults and wearing medieval armor and manning flaming dump trucks.

    Hopefully news of the nascent techno-security state will turn some heads—it's right out of 1984, or, more recently, Elysium: technology deployed to "detect" dissent. Again, this tech appears to be highly arbitrary; anyone near the protest is liable to be labeled a "participant," as if targeting protesters directly and so broadly wasn't bad enough in the first place.

    It's further reminder that authoritarian regimes are exploiting the very technology once celebrated as a vehicle for liberation; last year, in Turkey, you'll recall, the state rounded up dissident Twitter users. Now, Ukraine is tracing the phone signal directly. Dictators have already proved plenty adept at pulling the plug on the internet altogether.

    All of this puts lie to the lately-popular mythology that technology is inherently a liberating force—with the right hack, it can oppress just as easily.
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Scary for sure. In particular these two phrases in your text:

    Kiev is tearing itself to shreds right now, but since we're kind of burned out on protests, riots, and revolutions at the moment, it's being treated as below-the-fold news. Somehow, the fact that over a million people are marching, camping out, and battling with Ukraine's increasingly authoritarian government is barely making a ripple behind such blockbuster news bits as bridge closures and polar vortexes. Yes, even though protesters are literally building catapaults and wearing medieval armor and manning flaming dump trucks.

    Hopefully news of the nascent techno-security state will turn some heads—it's right out of 1984, or, more recently, Elysium: technology deployed to "detect" dissent. Again, this tech appears to be highly arbitrary; anyone near the protest is liable to be labeled a "participant," as if targeting protesters directly and so broadly wasn't bad enough in the first place.

    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • Jason P
    Jason P Posts: 19,327
    An opposition leader was released by his kidnappers after eight days of beatings, mutilation, and yes, a crucifixion. He was blindfolded but said they had Russian accents.

    businessinsider.com/ukraine-protest-leader-claims-he-was-abducted-crucified-and-mutilated-2014-1
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Jason P said:

    An opposition leader was released by his kidnappers after eight days of beatings, mutilation, and yes, a crucifixion. He was blindfolded but said they had Russian accents.

    businessinsider.com/ukraine-protest-leader-claims-he-was-abducted-crucified-and-mutilated-2014-1

    As if it wasn't ugly enough.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • Jason P
    Jason P Posts: 19,327
    Shit is officialy hitting the fan tonight in Kiev. Reports of at least 14 dead already ...

    businessinsider.com/protestors-in-ukraine-fight-a-crackdown-2014-2
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • dignin
    dignin Posts: 9,478
    Jason P said:

    Shit is officialy hitting the fan tonight in Kiev. Reports of at least 14 dead already ...

    businessinsider.com/protestors-in-ukraine-fight-a-crackdown-2014-2


    Looks that way
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,674
    I'm in the middle of reading Ryszard Kapuściński's excellent book, Imperium, and in that book are several graphic descriptions of the horrors put upon the Ukrainian people during the years they were held under the rule of the USSR. So now they have their own form of government that looks to be at least becoming just as fucked up. I'm very sorry to hear that.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    brianlux said:

    I'm in the middle of reading Ryszard Kapuściński's excellent book, Imperium, and in that book are several graphic descriptions of the horrors put upon the Ukrainian people during the years they were held under the rule of the USSR. So now they have their own form of government that looks to be at least becoming just as fucked up. I'm very sorry to hear that.

    Please submit an excerpt from this book, Brian.

    I googled the book for some reviews and would like to read a passage you think is fitting to offer.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,674
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    brianlux said:

    I'm in the middle of reading Ryszard Kapuściński's excellent book, Imperium, and in that book are several graphic descriptions of the horrors put upon the Ukrainian people during the years they were held under the rule of the USSR. So now they have their own form of government that looks to be at least becoming just as fucked up. I'm very sorry to hear that.

    Please submit an excerpt from this book, Brian.

    I googled the book for some reviews and would like to read a passage you think is fitting to offer.
    First off, my post above is a bit inaccurate as Kapuściński mostly writes here about Poland, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. He does mention the Ukraine but I can't find where right off hand.

    Not to be lazy but this is a heavy busy week for me so rather than type out some excerpts here a few I found on line.

    http://www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=4588

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Imperium-Ryszard-Kapuscinski/dp/1862079609 (click on "look inside" and you'll get a good part of the first -and excellent- chapter)



    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • foodboy
    foodboy Posts: 988
    this is all about the u.s. placing its influence and disrupting a very valuable russian entity. the ukraine government doesn't want to become part of the e. u. with good reason. take a look at greece. it is not in their best interests. the main stream media here portrays putin in every bad light possible. i'm not saying everything he does is right but what is behind these protests is very sinister. you have u.s interests pulling the strings. don't say it can't be true. ever heard of the c.i.a. interfering in other countries. nato wants to put nuclear missles in the ukraine as a deterrent to russia and possibly a first strike . the sea ports are vital to russia. this whole situation is extremely dangerous not only to that region but to world peace as well. stop believing what the msm wants you to see. its all choreographed today. you have people in washington picking the next government who have no clue how dangerous this is.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,674
    I think we have been duly chastised. b-(
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,760
    edited February 2014
    foodboy said:

    this is all about the u.s. placing its influence and disrupting a very valuable russian entity. the ukraine government doesn't want to become part of the e. u. with good reason. take a look at greece. it is not in their best interests. the main stream media here portrays putin in every bad light possible. i'm not saying everything he does is right but what is behind these protests is very sinister. you have u.s interests pulling the strings. don't say it can't be true. ever heard of the c.i.a. interfering in other countries. nato wants to put nuclear missles in the ukraine as a deterrent to russia and possibly a first strike . the sea ports are vital to russia. this whole situation is extremely dangerous not only to that region but to world peace as well. stop believing what the msm wants you to see. its all choreographed today. you have people in washington picking the next government who have no clue how dangerous this is.

    The Ukranian PEOPLE want to be a part of the EU, and that has nothing to do with the USA. That's why the Ukranian people are out on the streets risking their lives to fight for it. It's kind of strange how you side with the Ukranian government here. THey only want to stick with Russia for THEIR own interests, so why do you think that's okay for them but not okay for the USA, who would gain MUCH less if the Ukraine joined the EU than the Ukranian government would gain if they keep their people under the thumb of an oppressive nation? What an odd viewpoint! You completely discount the actual human beings who live in the Ukraine and have lived there with great suffering for many many years. They want better for themselves and their children, and they seem pretty sure that joining the EU will help them do that, without giving a flying fuck what the US thinks.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • polaris_x
    polaris_x Posts: 13,559
    PJ_Soul said:

    foodboy said:

    this is all about the u.s. placing its influence and disrupting a very valuable russian entity. the ukraine government doesn't want to become part of the e. u. with good reason. take a look at greece. it is not in their best interests. the main stream media here portrays putin in every bad light possible. i'm not saying everything he does is right but what is behind these protests is very sinister. you have u.s interests pulling the strings. don't say it can't be true. ever heard of the c.i.a. interfering in other countries. nato wants to put nuclear missles in the ukraine as a deterrent to russia and possibly a first strike . the sea ports are vital to russia. this whole situation is extremely dangerous not only to that region but to world peace as well. stop believing what the msm wants you to see. its all choreographed today. you have people in washington picking the next government who have no clue how dangerous this is.

    The Ukranian PEOPLE want to be a part of the EU, and that has nothing to do with the USA. That's why the Ukranian people are out on the streets risking their lives to fight for it. It's kind of strange how you side with the Ukranian government here. THey only want to stick with Russia for THEIR own interests, so why do you think that's okay for them but not okay for the USA, who would gain MUCH less if the Ukraine joined the EU than the Ukranian government would gain if they keep their people under the thumb of an oppressive nation? What an odd viewpoint! You completely discount the actual human beings who live in the Ukraine and have lived there with great suffering for many many years. They want better for themselves and their children, and they seem pretty sure that joining the EU will help them do that, without giving a flying fuck what the US thinks.
    it's just that the US were caught saying they don't want the opposition party in power ... my take is that the US would love to see instability in the region as it does in most places in the world ... hence the protesters and opposition doing everything they can to keep it peaceful ... hopefully, they can stay the course on that front ...
  • Jason P
    Jason P Posts: 19,327
    So one of the Klitschko brothers is actually a US spy we sent over to manipulate the interests of the Ukranian people? Huh, go figer. Who would have thunk it ...
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • dignin
    dignin Posts: 9,478
    Groups of protesters getting shot with what looks like sniper fire.

    Warning NSFL

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DxkDiAcSF8
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,674
    During the last century, Stalin had tens of thousands on Ukrainian intellectuals shot and starved to death as many as ten million people. Now it appear that Russia is gearing up to move in on Ukraine.

    http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/28/headlines

    Armed Men Seize Control of Airports in Crimea, Ukraine



    Armed men have taken control of two airports in the Crimea region of Ukraine as tension escalates. The new Ukrainian government, which seized power last weekend, described the move as an invasion and occupation by Russian forces. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, which is based in the region, denied its forces were involved in seizing the airports. Crimea is the only Ukrainian region that has an ethnic Russian majority. It was a Russian territory until it was transferred to Ukraine in 1954, during the Soviet era. Protests have been held in Crimea condemning the ouster of Ukraine’s democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovych.

    Genadiy Vlasof, member of Russian Block Group: "The new authority in Kiev includes — not all of them, but some — people who were wearing masks and shouting, 'Moskals on the knife!' on the square, who fueled national anger, who are enemies of every Russian-speaking person on Ukrainian territory, who are realistically capable of using force to kill people living in south-southeastern Ukraine."

    Yanukovych is now in Russia and is expected to hold a news conference today. Meanwhile, the United States is rejecting claims that the change in power in Ukraine constitutes a coup. On Thursday, White House spokesperson Jay Carney said Yanukovych had "abdicated his responsibilities" and "undermined his legitimacy" by fleeing Kiev. Carney outlined U.S. plans to work with the new government.

    Jay Carney: When it comes to U.S. assistance, we are continuing to consider a range of options, Jim, including loan guarantees to support Ukraine economically. The next step is for the new government to resume talks with the IMF. And as the government engages the IMF, we will also begin taking steps in coordination with multilateral and bilateral partners as well as with the new government."


    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,674
    This could get very ugly. In the early 90's the Ukraine gained independence in what was referred to as a "velvet revolution". Not a shot fired, not a soul killed. And now we see that independence was obviously never fully secure. And now we see that the tensions between the two super powers of the US and Russia seem to never cease. A wearisome and worrisome scenario.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/01/putin-russian-troops-crimea_n_4880076.html

    Putin Gets Permission To Move Russian Troops Into Crimea

    KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia's parliament granted President Vladimir Putin permission to use the country's military in Ukraine and also recommended Saturday that Moscow's ambassador be recalled from Washington over comments made by President Barack Obama.

    The unanimous vote in an emergency session formalized what Ukrainian officials described as an invasion of Russian troops in the strategic region of Crimea. With pro-Russian protests breaking out in other parts of Ukraine, Moscow now could send its military elsewhere in Ukraine.

    "I'm submitting a request for using the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine pending the normalization of the socio-political situation in that country," Putin said before the vote.

    Putin's call came as pro-Russian demonstrations broke out in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east, where protesters raised Russian flags and beat up supporters of the new Ukrainian government.

    Russia's move sharply raised the stakes in the conflict following the ouster of Ukraine's pro-Russian president last week by a protest movement aimed at turning Ukraine toward the European Union and away from Russia. Ukraine has accused Russia of a "military invasion and occupation" — a claim that brought an alarming new dimension to the crisis, and raised fears that Moscow is moving to intervene on the strategic peninsula where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based.

    President Barack Obama warned Moscow on Friday "there will be costs" if Russia intervenes militarily. In Saturday's parliamentary session in Moscow, one Russian legislator said Obama had crossed a "red line" and the upper house recommended the Russian ambassador in Washington be recalled. It will be up to Putin to decide whether that happens.

    In Crimea, the pro-Russian prime minister who took office after gunmen seized the regional Parliament claimed control of the military and police there and asked Putin for help in keeping peace, sharpening the discord between the two neighboring Slavic countries.

    Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, said the election of the election of Sergei Aksyonov as prime minister of Crimea was invalid.

    It was the latest escalation following the ouster of Ukraine's pro-Russian president last week by a protest movement aimed at turning Ukraine toward the European Union and away from Russia.

    Ukraine's population is divided in loyalties between Russia and Europe, with much of western Ukraine advocating closer ties with the European Union while eastern and southern regions look to Russia for support. Crimea, a semi-autonomous region of Ukraine, is mainly Russian-speaking.

    Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk opened a Cabinet meeting in the capital, Kiev, by calling on Russia not to provoke discord in Crimea.

    "We call on the government and authorities of Russia to recall their forces, and to return them to their stations," Yatsenyuk was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. "Russian partners, stop provoking civil and military resistance in Ukraine."
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Last-12-Exit
    Last-12-Exit Charleston, SC Posts: 8,661
    I've been reading more and more about this situation in the Ukraine and now in Crimea and I have yet to figure out what the fuck this has to do with the United States. What exactly is our interest in the Ukraine?

    Obama once again threatened a foreign leader that if there is an invasion "that there will be costs...." Sounds like another empty threat like the one we heard in Syria.

    I will offer my advice to president Obama. Let the European Union take charge in this so called problem. Stay out if it.

Categories