IamA citizen of Ukraine, Kyiv, witness and participant of riots AMA!

considering recent videos where policeman are beaten to death among other things , do you fear an escalation of the violence? do you think it can turn into a sortof civil war?

It literally started escalating again yesterday. The overwhelming opinion is the dispersing of protesters was planned by the authorities beforehand.

Haven't personally seen a video of policemen beaten to death, but it probably happens becuase people are trying to get revenge.

Thanks for the reply, Do you see a negotiated solution possible?

Not at this point, no. People won't stop until Yanukovich is no longer President and until he's punished for his actions.

Do you think he will step down like Mubarak did in Egypt?

I hope he'll do it much sooner, so there aren't as many victims as in Egypt. But, naturally, I can't predict it.

how does the police react against the riots?

They are extremely aggressive since they're not well informed about the situation. The barracks were the police lives have no access to TV or Internet.

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The video was actually taken in my hometown.

I feel especially sorry for those police officers, since we have less trouble with abuse of power and corruption in our town.

I bet they all knew that the protesters were right but couldn't disobey their orders directly. So they just gave up that building without putting up a fight.

On the contrary, police and special forces troops in Kyiv and in the Eastern regions will happily call you 'Nazi whores' and beat you to death with batons or just shoot you, if they're being merciful.

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Well, the government's course of action after the Orange Revolution was correct - replacing the entire apparatus with new employees who are less susceptible to corruption.

Unfortunately, a change that massive resulted in our economy stumbling a lot and people were quick to judge Yuschchenko. Afterwards, there was an unfortunate deal of trouble with Yulia Tymoshenko, who ended up in prison when Yanukovich came to power.

Which is why I think the correct solution would be to make the government apolytical (not consist of members of any political party).

So what happens to the officers who are taken by the protesters, like in the video? Are they let go or taken as like prisoners?

I haven't personally seen the state of the captured police officers. In one of the videos you can hear some opposition representative shouting for people to stay calm and not harm the officer. They were trying to get him some medical assistance.

I hope he received it, but people can't always control themselves when they know that the other side isn't merciful to their prisoners.

In any case, I doubt they let him go, some of the captured officers should be under guard on Maidan.

So your police are segregated from the rest of society? The police have to think something is amiss ...

That's the issue, a lot of them are being brainwashed by their superiors. They are being told we're Nazi terrorists and nothing will persuade them otherwise anymore.

I haven't really been following why this is happenining in Ukraine. I have seen how rough it is (burning policemen, et cetera).
I hope it'll end quickly. Best of luck, be safe!

To brief you real quick.

It started with students protesting peacefully on the main city square against the government's decision to decline an agreement with the EU. That was back in November. Yanukovich ordered to disperse these 15-20 people with brute force.

Now people from all over the country are fighting back to force Yanukovich and his government to resign. It turned into a revolution/civil war.

Thanks for your wishes!

It kind of reminds me off the riots in Les Miserables. Do you think it could get to the point of Marshal Law or bringing in other countries to assist?

I guess we'll found out in these next few days, but I doubt EU plans on sending troops to Ukraine.

In my opinion, that wouldn't help the situation whatsoever.

Funny that you mention Les Mis. I literally watched the movie the day before the clashes on Hrushevskogo Str. started about 5 weeks ago. Was really freaked out back then.

Is it true that Russia is a police state, and Putin is fucked up? I must admit when your President denied the EU-deal, and made a deal with Putin, a lot of alarm bells were ringing in my head. It was so obvious something crazy was going on with Putin and your president.

And thank you for standing up against this. I have huge respect for people who stand their ground and actually doesn't accept all kind of bullshit coming their way. One of my favorite quotes which has changed my life is "It is up to you how people treat you" If you accept getting fucked over, people will do it again and again, but if their actions has consequences it must stop.

In Denmark we have a lot of protests. But usually people don't give a fuck, and the politicians doesn't give a fuck. So huge respect for Ukraine, and your people. Big inspiration!

Yes, I think it's true. Here are the facts. Russia has almost twice as many police officers per 100,000 people than the U.S. and Denmark.

People were gathering on the streets with umbrellas and empty sheets of paper, never saying a word. Apparently that provoked the police officers to disperse them. And that's how fucked up Putin is. That happens regularly, so no doubt people are scared.

I've never been to Russia, so I'm not sure what's their quality of life. But I think, for the most part, it's lower than in Ukraine. What I'm saying is, you shouldn't blame Russian people because they seem overly aggressive.

thanks a lot /u/DancherUA! for doing this AMA!

A few questions I have asked you before but i would like everyone to know about (plus the answers probably have changed alot) are:

1. What is the state of mind for most of the protesters?? (what do they want to happen, are morals getting low, do they want to see out the protests until the very end at all costs??)

2. What are some common rumors going around on the streets of kyiv regarding the government?

3. Have russian forces become involved in any ways? (militarily)

4. How can we best help out in other countries, because here in the U.S. the media coverage has really slowed down to minimal coverage of the events. Its quite sad.

Thanks Dancher!

Oh man, you're the reason I'm doing this AMA, so thanks for giving the idea! :)

1. The general goal of Maidan right now is the resignation of Yanukovich, and getting him punished for his actions. Since everything is on the line right now, people's spirit won't break and they'll do whatever it takes to fight back.

2. Even the people who aren't actively supporting Maidan for whatever reason agree that the government's actions are illegal. Since no one knows exactly how our secret service works, everyone is being cautious in mentioning Yanukovich in phone conversations or social networks.

3. There is no confirmed info about russian special forces being in Ukraine. My friend told me there were sightings of people in Russian special forces uniform. But, again, no pictures were taken, so their quantities are not overwhelming.

4. The only thing I would ask of you is to share what you know with your friends and family. Perhaps some kind person will organize a petition and the word can ultimately reach some government.

What's the most insane thing you have done in these riots?

Me: During the first few weeks, when everything was still peaceful, I stood in a chain protecting police officers from unnecessary aggression. I stood 2 meters in front of their shields with my back to them.

Now these officers are probably hurting my friends over at the Independence Square.

Friend: 20 rioters, including me, fighting 200 titushki (people who were bought by the government to blend in with the rioters and act extremely aggressively).

Also throwing rocks into an officer with a rifle, then showing him a middle finger and running away, trying to dodge his bullets.

what is the split, if there are any, between people for and against the riots? And are protesters getting more violent as well?

Stats for Ukraine overall claim it's 45-45 among the population because eastern regions are heavily populated with pro-Russian population.

But, during the next presidential election any opposition candidate will get 65% of the votes.

Absolutely, the protesters are getting violent, as a natural reaction to murders, even though politicians are trying to calm them down.

Do you happen to also speak Russian? and is there any message you want to tell Putin in Russian?

I do. I sincerely doubt he will read it but whatever.

Here goes: Вова, оставь Украину в покое. Твоей мечте о воссоединении Российской империи не сбыться.

My russian is terrible but for anyone curious I think it says; "????, leave ukraine. Your dream to reunite the reussian empire will never come true"

Googled 'Вова' seems to mean ruler. Can't figure out if it's meant to be a compliment as in 'glorious leader' or an insult as in 'dictator'.

Haha, I'm sorry I should have given a translation next to my message.

"Vova" (Вова) is short for Vladimir, which is Putin's name. That's how people call him disrespectfully. Other than that your translation is excellent. :)

"Vova, leave Ukraine alone. Your dream to reunite the Russian Empire will never come true."

Out of curiousity do you see a political distinction between the words Товариш & Товарищ ... and if so what is it?

Well, it's a language difference first of all. Товариш is basically a synonyme for 'friend' in Ukrainian, whereas Товарищ is a Russian word that is seldom used as friend nowadays, more as 'sir'.

IF Yanukovich were to step down, who would you want to take his place?

I want the president to have the least amount of power possible. That's what the authorities and opposition are fighting over right now.

What matters is who will be in the government, so it is less corrupted, more willing to put the country on a right path. Which is why the government has to be apolytical (economists, lawmen etc., not politicians)

Friend: It's gotta be Yulia Tymoshenko or Petro Poroshenko. These two know a lot about economics, which is what we need to save Ukraine from falling into ruin.

(how) do you rate/see the revolt being spearheaded by neo-fascist SVOBODA party and their militia-like gangs? they're being talked to by the US and EU as well AFAIK - how is that even possible. it sounds insane.

I keep hearing these rumours about Svoboda being an ultra-fascist or neo-nazi party and none of them are true. Svoboda is a nationalist party that prioritizes the well-being of Ukraine and Ukrainians as a nation.

It doesn't mean they hate Russians or Jews, in fact nazism has never been a part of this revolution.

Atm protesters are equally dissapointed with all parties that represent opposition (of which there are three), and Svoboda never had control over the situation.

What advice would you give Venezuelans who are going through the same situation? As a Venezuelan I deeply sympathize with all that you are going through, you are hope for us as well, as we see that you continue fighting and we are just beginning.

Don't give up the fight unless you think the cause isn't worth it. If you're having similar trouble with the government (sorry, haven't been following international news), analyze all their actions.

If it seems like they're looking for a compromise, you should at least give them a chance.

Y buena suerte, amigo!

At this stage does it look like there will be a peaceful resolution at all?

I would say, the politicians found a peaceful solution just the day before yesterday.

Afterwards, the protesters tried to approach the parliament building and were confronted with a lot of police. That's were the skirmishes started again.

And then later that day, police and special forces assaulted the Independence Square using live ammo, water hoses and grenades.

So, no, there is no peaceful solution anymore.

Exactly what kind of grenades?

Flashbangs

Why is it happening. I realize its the simplest question to ask, but I don't understand. What does rioting do to solve anything? (I'm not a pacifist, I'm just curious)

People are disrupting the government's work in any way possible (mostly capturing administrative buildings all over the country) to force Yanukovich to resign, which is the ultimate goal of our protest.

You can argue that it's not worth so much bloodshed, but people are being provoked by the government's actions even more.

What do you think are the best and worst case scenarios for the ending of the riots?

Second, where does everybody pee?

Thanks for doing this and stay strong!

Best case scenario - Yanukovich immediately gives the order for the government to resign, appoints a new government after consulting the opposition, resigns himself.

Worst case scenario - He uses all the police forces he commands to disperse Maidan, many more people die. He remains in complete control with no one able to remove him from power.

Last time I was there, a bunch of eco-toilet booths were set up all over the place. Now that Maidan became a war-zone, not sure if the booths are still there.

Edit: to your question about peeing

I guess my question has to do with how I might react if I was in Ukraine. Anyway, does the escalation of violence make you more devoted to your cause or does it scare you away? At least for me, it would certainly be the latter.

I'm really scared to go out there these next couple of days. Two friends of mine who are helping me out got their share of injuries yesterday and tonight, so they're not going back either.

What do you think has been the most significant thing the protest has achieved so far? Is there an age-gap between those in favour of EU/Russian ties? All the best from the UK

I suppose the only real thing we've achieved was get some attention from the EU, even though they haven't done much to help Ukrainians.

Apart from that, we did force ex-PM Azarov to resign (even though it was undoubtedly an order from Yanukovich) and we pressured the parliament into cancelling a couple of blatantly unconstitutional laws (wearing a mask or a helmet in the streets makes you an extremist).

As to the age-gap, it's mostly older people who are pro-Russian because they miss the Soviet Union times. But, there is plenty of elderly protesters out there as well. Mostly, they distributed and cooked food, back when there were no skirmishes.

Thanks for doing this AMA! Many people in the US still have no clue about what is going on. Two Questions. What is the current protester opinion of klitschko, do people still follow/respect him? And do the Ukrainian people have access to guns/weapons other than molotov's if a civil war fully does break out? Thanks again for doing this!

It always seemed like not that many people supported Klitschko to begin with. No one took him seriously because of his background. Following the beginning of the demonstrations in December, he gained some followers.

But he was way too indecisive, along with other opposition leaders, trying to calm people down even when avoiding the confrontation was impossible.

He has been visiting Yanukovich regularly to come up with a solution, to no result.

Klitschko was sprayed with a fire extinguisher a couple of weeks ago, so some people clearly have no respect for him anymore.

From what me and my friends have seen, rioters only use melee weapons, and Molotovs apart from few and far between examples of firearms usage. These are probably some relics from their ancestors, since getting a gun has always been nearly impossible here in Ukraine.

So, in case of a civil war people will be armed with rocks, fireworks, wooden shields, sticks and Molotov cocktails. No one is using knives yet, because of how deadly they are, but if civil war breaks out knives will be used as well.

Im a little confused on the situation. Can you help clear things up?

To brief you real quick.

It started with students protesting peacefully on the main city square against the government's decision to decline an agreement with the EU. That was back in November. Yanukovich ordered to disperse these 15-20 people with brute force. People were heavily injured, some people disappeared.

Now people from all over the country are fighting back to force Yanukovich and his government to resign. It turned into a revolution/civil war. So far there are confirmed 26 people killed, but many more are gone and thousands are injured.

Hi!

1. What do you want Yanukovich to do in the current situation? What are your personal demands to him?

2. Who, in your opinion, initiated conflict yesterday?

3. How do you feel about Berkut?

4. How do you feel about those Maidan speakers, who claim that current government is controlled by Russia?

5. Do you ever get the feeling that Maidan supporters blindly believe any information that supports their cause?

1. Give the order for the government to resign, appoint a new government after consulting the opposition, resign himself. And FFS to stop killing people!

2. Protesters tried to approach the parliament building, which is what triggered the police officers to fight back. But the dispersing of Maidan at Independence Square was obviously planned beforehand.

3. Very conflicted. I both hate them because they hurt people I care about and feel sorry for them because they have little choice other than follow orders.

4. They're not entirely wrong, most of the government is obviously pro-Russian and is unwilling to break those ties. Russia doesn't want to lose Ukraine as a business partner, so they make sure our government does whatever they want (via threats, bribes, loans etc.)

5. No, I've spoken to those people and most of them dislike the opposition leaders who claim to have control over the protesters even though they don't.

5 years from now, where do you hope Ukraine will be/where do you think it wwill be?

I want Ukraine to be less dependent on Russia than it currently is. That's why cooperation with the EU is the most obvious next step.

Also I hope the whole government apparatus is less corrupted than it is now and more trustworthy.

I'm way too big of an optimist, to separate my hopes from reality, so I'll quote my friend on this: "I don't know. We just fight"

Just wanted to ask that do you think this will escalate to civil war in ukraine since in my opinnion it looks like that situation is not too far fetched.

It's possible. I'm not sure if the government has to declare the state of civil war in that kind of situation.

What defines civil war anyway? Because there have been many victims on both sides. But, as far as I know, only the police forces and titushki are massively using handguns.

Does it annoy you that other countries refer to yours as "the Ukraine" instead of "Ukraine"?

A little. But I know it's hard to get rid of a habit, so I just try to peacefully correct this mistake every time I see it. :)

Knowing someone that is going to Kiev this weekend, what advice should I give them?

Do NOT go into the city centre without some protective gear (a helmet at least). It might be tempting to witness this fight first-hand, but don't underestimate the danger.

Remember, live ammo is been used there. Certainly, don't even think about going out late at night (after 7-8 pm).

The subway is not working as of right now. If they can't re-open it, your friends will have to find other ways of transportation (city buses, trams). I head taxis are really expensive because of what's happening.

What about the citizens of Kiev? Are they shut in their homes if they are not participating? How is mail still being delivered?

Some are still going to work, unless they need to use the subway which is closed since yesterday 'for threat of a terrorist attack'.

I went to the university since it's just a 10 minute walk from home for me and there were barely any students there.

The mail is probably fine, they're trying to shut off some TV channels though.

Are they really throwing fireworks?

The rioters use them a lot, it can be seen in a lot of videos and livestreams.

Special forces do not use fireworks, in case you meant them.

Edit: Literally a minute ago there was a post in the social network by Praviy Sektor (rioters) that Berkut is using fireworks as well. Only proof so far

Haha, thanks for replying, but yeah, I meant the rioters. I've only seen about 3 minutes of footage, and I couldn't tell if they were fireworks or just some Molotov cocktail or similar.

Edited my message, special forces ARE actually using fireworks too. They just showed it on stream.

What have you seen fellow protestors do that you're least proud of? Something that made you wonder if your doing the right thing.

I guess the most disturbing was when prisoners were taken.

I guess some people couldn't control themselves knowing that people were getting killed, but it doesn't justify hurting police officers and humiliating 'titushki' members.

If I was there when police were captured, I might not have been able to keep calm either.

Thanks for doing this ama. What's the most insane thing you have seen during the riots?

No problem. I'm glad to raise awareness.

Me: Police officers set on fire after the crowd tossed Molotovs at them (saw it on stream)

Friend 1: A Berkut (sp. forces) officer was penetrated by a crossbow bolt in front of me. Berkut officers firing and throwing boulders from a higher ground onto a crowd directly below.

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Thanks for the concern.

My family is safe and well. We're not going to approach the city centre these next few days.

Some of my friends were injured, but that's an expected price to pay.

Yanukovich was, as far as the most of the world's opinion, democratically elected in 2010. To my understanding, the next presidential elections would be held next year. I can understand his policy decisions as of late might have been unpopular -- but why the protests, and unwavering demands of his immediate resignation, rather than going with the democratic process and voting in a new guy/girl? It doesn't seem terribly democratic, more like "democracy, but only as long as the right (wing) guys win" sort of thing. Why all this if you could have a new president and new course this/next year anyhow?

The levels of corruption in our country are beyond comprehension, so the government finds ways to avoid detection while falsifying election results.

I wouldn't trust the results of 2010 presidential elections, and I definitely wouldn't trust the last parliamentary elections in 2012. People are afraid he will seize total control over the country and make it a dictatorship which is why this can't wait or be resolved in a democratic way.

Thank you for doing this!

Do you see a peaceful end to all of this? Or do you see protesters rising up until the last piece of Government is demolished?

It depends on how long the government can send police officers to their death and order them to kill people. I'm sure the protests will not stop unless they actually start shooting everyone dead.

A reasonable leader would stand down months ago and resign like he was supposed to. But he didn't. Let's see if he changes his mind now to stop the bloodshed.

I was born in Kharkiv, but grew up in the US. My thoughts are with you and the other protesters. There's always so much hope for Ukraine. It has the potential to be one of the greatest countries in the world. The people are educated and motivated and there are natural resources. But time after time the corruption and the old Soviet era officials turn back the progress. I hope this revolution finally roots out the corruption and creates a government that reflects the interests of the people. Best of luck, and please stay safe.

Thanks! Your assessment is absolutely correct. We have so much potential.

Do you think the violence will escalate to the point where soldiers and police from neighboring countries (Probably Russia) or possibly your country going under Martial Law.

I am a teenage American and I can not say it enough how much I pity your situation and that I hope you succeed. Good luck to you and everyone in Kyiv.

Yeah, I had a similar question about civil war state in Ukraine. They are alrady calling our actions "extremist" and "terrorist".

Even though Martial Law is one of the worst things that can happen, it's possible.

These next few days will give us the answers, I suppose. Thanks for your support!

I've seen some police brutality, however media in my country says it's a fascist revolution consisting on right-wing protesters, it is true or just a lie?

EDIT: Also, this photos here makes protesters look evil.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/22/pictures-central-kiev-protests_n_4645476.html

Huh, that's pretty much what our government claim this to be.

That's the whole reason for this AMA, to assure you people aren't fighting because of some national hatred, but because of government usurping power and clearly breaking a lot of international human rights in the process.

There are nationalist organizations that are part of the revolution, but they want what's best for our country - for Yanukovich to be punished and to lay a foundation for cooperation with the EU.

So, I always thought Ukraine was more of a "Russian-Bloc" rather than a EU country. Do people there consider themselves more Western that in the old days when you were still part of the Soviet Union?

I'd like to believe we're much closer to an average European than Belarussians or Romanians.

But the truth is, there's a lot of adapting to do. Ukrainians normally don't trust each other or the authorities, because of how corrupted our country is. There are also issues of wide-spread homophobia, which would take years to tackle.

There is also deep hatred between westernmost and easternmost population.

But, to answer your question: yeah, we're deinitely more Western than back in the Soviet Union. Just take the number of people learning English or people owning bank accounts and credit cards. None of that existed in Soviet Ukraine.

Would you say that the riots were similar to those in Istanbul or the Egypt Spring? Why or why not?

AFAIK, the goals are similar, in that we're all fighting usurpers of power and their crimes. I think, there were much more victims in Egypt and Turkey and I hope our numbers will never get that high.

As a protester in Istanbul, I support you and hope the same

Thanks!

How do people decide to get together and riot? If you all showed up and there were no police whatsoever, what would you do?

The first organized clashes between the police and rioters happened about 5 weeks ago on Hrushevskogo street.

A border of police and special forces was set up along the entire government district, so the protesters weren't allowed to approach the parliament building.

One of the extremely aggressive organizations Praviy Sektor started flipping buses and beating police up with sticks. Police started fighting back using grenades and such.

That was the only frontier for a while, so if you were looking for a fight, that's where you'd go.

Since yesterday, the entire city centre is a war-zone, so it's really easy to get shot or have a boulder thrown at you.

Not sure, if I answered your question. Basically, if they weren't trying to block the government district off, the protests could still be peaceful.

What age group, from what you have personally seen, are taking part in the protests the most?

Also, do you think political support/intervention from other countries will help or worsen the current political issue? Do you think their would be an increase in protests if another country tried to fully get involved?

Young people are the most active and aggressive. Young as in 18-26 yo.

But there are other categories there as well. Older people are helping organize the encampment and cook food. I haven't seen kids there, but doesn't mean there aren't any.

Well, clearly political indifference by EU and US worsened the situation, so we're still waiting for some actual action and not talk of condemning.

I don't think military involvement is the way to go and it'll probably trigger more unrest.

I don't have a question, just sending you all well wishes. 'Keep safe' seems like a ridiculous thing to say, right now...good luck to you, your friends, and all those protesting.

Thank you so much. Could you help spread awareness of this issue among your friends? It would really help people of Ukraine a lot!

Hi! I'm a dane but my father lives in Lviv. According to him, the violent protests havent spread to the rest of Ukraine yet, but do you think that this will happen?

These last few hours, livestreams have been showing a lot of military activity in other cities, mostly in Eastern Ukraine.

In certain cities administrative buildings were captured by protesters to disrupt the government's influence.

Can you tell more about these Titushki (spelling?) I read about them in a Danish media. Which said nobody knows who they are or their motive.

Who are they? How many of them is there? What is there motive?

Titushki is a term invented in these past few months that describes people who play their role in the protest for financial profit.

They are given money by government representatives in return for sparking extreme aggression with the end goal of blaming the opposition for their actions. They disguise themselves as regular rioters, but are usually people from Eastern regions who use Russian rather than Ukrainian.

They are only loyal as long as they're paid and my friend told me they were armed with handguns yesterday and were firing on rioters with live ammo.

I get the sense from watching this closely for the last couple months, that it's like a standoff. Is there any kind of plan about what to do next and after that etc, or are they just waiting for the police/riot troops to get the order to end the protests via any means possible?

Well, just yesterday police troops were ordered to attack the Independence Square with usage of live ammo, water hoses and flash grenades.

And, even though, it seems unlikely their next order will be to stand down, the rioters don't seem to be giving up.

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I haven't heard that info. I doubt Lviv can just proclaim it and it'll happen.

They'll have plenty of trouble establishing a new state and it will achieve nothing of value.

Besides, it looks like they're trying to abandon a sinking ship instead of fighting the waves until the end.

I am late but I would like to ask you if the hospital are still working. If you are injured, who is going to treat you? Are there some volunteering doctors among you?

Yes, all hospitals are willing to receive the injured and provide them with medical assistance or at least some first aid. There were also multiple quick-reaction medical stations set up in the buildings adjacent to Maidan.

Yesterday, during the assault most of them were destroyed by police officers and had to be set up elsewhere.

As to the doctors, there are a lot of volunteers at these medical stations with varying experience but they are all extremely dedicated and absolutely invaluable.

i know what is happening in the major cities, but what is happening in more rural or "suburban" areas. outside of the protesters actually in the streets, what does the average Ukrainian citizen think?

Well, they all know about these events since Yanukovich can't block the livestreams.

Some decide to join the riots in Kyiv or a demonstration in their town, others just go around their business.

Western regions are the most active in that regard, taking over administrative buildings, even in small towns.

What is your opinion of this video? Edit: Removed video link because it wasn't from a riot in Ukraine, but rather Thailand. Also, the video was mislabeled at one point that made me believe that it was from Ukraine, and I am also an idiot since I know the flags didn't match at all. Sorry!

Wow, this is actually disturbing. For others who see this - the video isn't related to Ukraine, so I don't recommend watching it since it's not related to that discussion.

I really hope Ukraine doesn't get to the point of rioters using hand grenades. Molotov cocktails are still dangerous, but do much less damage to officers who are equipped in special fire-proof uniform and have water hoses covering them.

What do you think about Svoboda?

It gets a lot of flak from the international press and is tagged for 'fascism'. In my opinion, it doesn't deserve it. They are the most honest party in Ukraine and haven't done anything but help Ukraine in fighting the unending war with corruption as well as supporting protesters at Maidan.

I really hope they get more support during the next parliamentary elections.

First, good luck there in Ukraine, try to stay safe! Second, is there a constant group of protestors (like, a few go to sleep while a few return) or are there times that it's quiet outside?

I can't follow it as much as I'd like to since I'm quite busy with school, but wow, yesterday was quite crazy with the fire and such..

Yeah, mostly people live like owls: sleep during the day, fight at night.

There are so many wounded at this point, I'm surprised the resistance is still there.