Monday, November 21, 2005
SENT NOV. 21, 2004
This was an email I sent on the day of the elections last year. It was a hodge podge of thoughts, photos, and snippets of the press. . .
UKRAINIANS WILLING TO FIGHT:
On this day of the elections, Ukrainians are ready to fight for their future. My hands are shaking as I write this. I am so inspired by the news of resistance coming out from all over the country. Things are not looking good in terms of what authorities are up to, however, and I am also angry at the moment about an article I read on the yahoo website about Ukraine's election, which I will talk about in a moment. Anyhow, below is a hodge-podge of articles and photos and comments
But first of all, reports of resistance:
PORA! activists have been lying in front of and underneath buses and cars set to repeat what happened in the first round: roaming buses of formerly dead and other types of souls intending to vote more than once. See photos below, from Kyiv:
And here's a poster from the PORA! website www.pora.org.ua calling for demonstrations to start in Kyiv on Kontraktova Ploshcha. BY-THE-WAY you ALL should check out this website. . .it is in both Ukrainian and English and is one of the best sites for real news about what's going on in Ukraine.
The translation is from their own website, not mine. . .
What they are calling for in this poster is for activists, students, anyone and everyone, to meet on a square in Kyiv in the Podil neighborhood close to one of the major universities (Kyiv-Mohyla) there from whence they plan to march to the central square, and the stay put until the real election results become known, and Jushchenko declared president, since in actual fact he already won in the fist round (but they didn't write all that in the poster).
This past week has been full of demonstrating, and below are some pics of PORA! actions from around Ukraine. But, by-the-way, about that issue of "budget workers" being ordered to vote: I wrote that the parlaiment had issued a decree ordering that people vote only where they live. Well, to take effect, the decree had to be signed by President Kuchma, who of course has not signed it. Kuchma also appeared on TV last night, once again downplaying the seriousness of the violations in the first round, and warned the opposition that, "There will be no revolution."
More photos from student strikes that took place on Wednesday from all over Ukraine; that is, I forgot to mention earlier that in addition to all the town-hall type meetings and pickets that were held last Wednesday in protest of the budget-worker scandal, nationwide there were student strikes and demos, intended to show the demand of students that this weekend's vote would be free and fair.
In this photo, see the 1+1 crossed out? 1+1 is the state television channel, a network of lying liars. . .
The PORA! symbol/flag
Here are some highlights of nasty things that happened this past week in these various Ukrainian cities, according to the PORA website:
Lviv--unkown attackers entered a Yushenko's supporter's house and beat his mother and grandmother.
Kharkiv--cruel beating by unknown people of PORA activist Kostiantyn ????.
Kharkiv--policemen tear activists' passports
Simferopil--two PORA activists were arrested and later released in Simferopol; PORA states, "We are greatful to everybody who called the police department and demanded the release of Subat Martyrosian and Kostia Chystiakov."
Vynnytsja--seven PORA activists arrested
PORA is the group specifically accused of fostering "terrorism." They say they are victim of the police planting grenades in their offices. One poster at a PORA! demo stated: "Studenty kydajut jajtsja a militsijionery pidkidajut lymony (Students through eggs but policemen plant bombs)" refering to the incidence this summer when a student in the town of Ivano-Frankivsk threw an egg at Janukovych.
There are rumors floating about that the presidential administration may have distributed 130,000 pens with disappearing ink. The Ukrainian people's informal, what I call "spoken-word, do-it-yourself, underground info network" is encouraging all Ukrainians to bring their own pens to voting centers (heard this warning on Radio Era)! This is just incredible, the shamlessness of the authorities.
Oh, by-the-way, there are reports of anti-government demonstrations at the "voting-parties" ogranized by authorities for budget-workers, with people arriving to shout at the party-goers who gave up their passports and registrations "Hin'ba! Hin'ba! (Shame! Shame!). Such activist-oriented people are also gathering, forming into linked-armed chains and standing in front of buses of the dead and of police and shouting "Shame! Shame!". This was reported today on Channel 5, the only independent news network in Ukraine, available for the most part via Cable (although I hear some cities carry the network publically).
Other news reported on Channel 5: In Donetsk, journalists have been refused entry into various voting centers, and have had their press passes taken and destroyed. The anouncer concluded this report with a grin and a reassuring glance into the camera as satetd the following: "No Matter--the Voice travels faster than the Image."
The grassroots information network here, I re-emphasize, is something incredible.
Photo of Jushchenko speaking a the 100,000 person strong rally that took place on Nov.6 in Kyiv, demanding a free and fair election
Other photos:
Picket in front of the TV Channel Inter this week; the sign says "Warning: Lies!"
More picketing of stations: The poster on the right says "Enough Lieing!"
This is a brief statement from Radio Free Europe: Jushchenko this time is not calling off demonstrations. . .
YUSHCHENKO WARNS OF 'STRONG-ARM SCENARIO' IN UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF
Opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Kyiv on 19 November that he fears the authorities will resort to a "strong-arm scenario" in his runoff with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych on 21 November, Interfax reported. According to Yushchenko, the strong-arm scenario is one in which Yanukovych is declared the winner on the morning of 22 November irrespective of the vote count. "If we encounter large-scale falsification, we will lead people to the streets and we will defend our rights," Reuters quoted Yushchenko as saying. In an address to voters published the previous day, Yushchenko called on his supporters to sign up for "voluntary people's teams" organized by his local election staffs and pledged to mobilize "millions of citizens for the defense of the constitution." JM
More news coming out today (I have copied it from INTERFAX):
UKRAINIANS WILLING TO FIGHT:
On this day of the elections, Ukrainians are ready to fight for their future. My hands are shaking as I write this. I am so inspired by the news of resistance coming out from all over the country. Things are not looking good in terms of what authorities are up to, however, and I am also angry at the moment about an article I read on the yahoo website about Ukraine's election, which I will talk about in a moment. Anyhow, below is a hodge-podge of articles and photos and comments
But first of all, reports of resistance:
PORA! activists have been lying in front of and underneath buses and cars set to repeat what happened in the first round: roaming buses of formerly dead and other types of souls intending to vote more than once. See photos below, from Kyiv:
And here's a poster from the PORA! website www.pora.org.ua calling for demonstrations to start in Kyiv on Kontraktova Ploshcha. BY-THE-WAY you ALL should check out this website. . .it is in both Ukrainian and English and is one of the best sites for real news about what's going on in Ukraine.
PORA IS AVANDE-GUARD OF VICTORY!
NOVEMBER 21ST (Sunday)  VOTE AND COME! PROVE THAT THEY HAVE LOST Meeting of winners at Kontraktova Plosha from 16.00 and till VICTORY Action plan 16.00 announcement of the attacking plan 16.30 - 19.00 rock-marathon "Voice of Victory" 19.00 march of winners to the Independence Square ... - ... Announcement of the elections results |
The translation is from their own website, not mine. . .
What they are calling for in this poster is for activists, students, anyone and everyone, to meet on a square in Kyiv in the Podil neighborhood close to one of the major universities (Kyiv-Mohyla) there from whence they plan to march to the central square, and the stay put until the real election results become known, and Jushchenko declared president, since in actual fact he already won in the fist round (but they didn't write all that in the poster).
This past week has been full of demonstrating, and below are some pics of PORA! actions from around Ukraine. But, by-the-way, about that issue of "budget workers" being ordered to vote: I wrote that the parlaiment had issued a decree ordering that people vote only where they live. Well, to take effect, the decree had to be signed by President Kuchma, who of course has not signed it. Kuchma also appeared on TV last night, once again downplaying the seriousness of the violations in the first round, and warned the opposition that, "There will be no revolution."
More photos from student strikes that took place on Wednesday from all over Ukraine; that is, I forgot to mention earlier that in addition to all the town-hall type meetings and pickets that were held last Wednesday in protest of the budget-worker scandal, nationwide there were student strikes and demos, intended to show the demand of students that this weekend's vote would be free and fair.
In this photo, see the 1+1 crossed out? 1+1 is the state television channel, a network of lying liars. . .
The PORA! symbol/flag
Here are some highlights of nasty things that happened this past week in these various Ukrainian cities, according to the PORA website:
Mykolajiv--Police tried to search an appartment of an activist under pretext that someone wanted by police was in-hiding there.
Kherson--27 activists arrested.
Lviv--unkown attackers entered a Yushenko's supporter's house and beat his mother and grandmother.
Kharkiv--cruel beating by unknown people of PORA activist Kostiantyn ????.
Kharkiv--policemen tear activists' passports
Simferopil--two PORA activists were arrested and later released in Simferopol; PORA states, "We are greatful to everybody who called the police department and demanded the release of Subat Martyrosian and Kostia Chystiakov."
Vynnytsja--seven PORA activists arrested
Sumy--students anounced a hunger strike and set-up tents in center of town. City threatened to forcefully remove tents and stikers. . .
PORA is the group specifically accused of fostering "terrorism." They say they are victim of the police planting grenades in their offices. One poster at a PORA! demo stated: "Studenty kydajut jajtsja a militsijionery pidkidajut lymony (Students through eggs but policemen plant bombs)" refering to the incidence this summer when a student in the town of Ivano-Frankivsk threw an egg at Janukovych.
There are rumors floating about that the presidential administration may have distributed 130,000 pens with disappearing ink. The Ukrainian people's informal, what I call "spoken-word, do-it-yourself, underground info network" is encouraging all Ukrainians to bring their own pens to voting centers (heard this warning on Radio Era)! This is just incredible, the shamlessness of the authorities.
Oh, by-the-way, there are reports of anti-government demonstrations at the "voting-parties" ogranized by authorities for budget-workers, with people arriving to shout at the party-goers who gave up their passports and registrations "Hin'ba! Hin'ba! (Shame! Shame!). Such activist-oriented people are also gathering, forming into linked-armed chains and standing in front of buses of the dead and of police and shouting "Shame! Shame!". This was reported today on Channel 5, the only independent news network in Ukraine, available for the most part via Cable (although I hear some cities carry the network publically).
Other news reported on Channel 5: In Donetsk, journalists have been refused entry into various voting centers, and have had their press passes taken and destroyed. The anouncer concluded this report with a grin and a reassuring glance into the camera as satetd the following: "No Matter--the Voice travels faster than the Image."
The grassroots information network here, I re-emphasize, is something incredible.
Photo of Jushchenko speaking a the 100,000 person strong rally that took place on Nov.6 in Kyiv, demanding a free and fair election
Other photos:
Picket in front of the TV Channel Inter this week; the sign says "Warning: Lies!"
More picketing of stations: The poster on the right says "Enough Lieing!"
This is a brief statement from Radio Free Europe: Jushchenko this time is not calling off demonstrations. . .
YUSHCHENKO WARNS OF 'STRONG-ARM SCENARIO' IN UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF
Opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Kyiv on 19 November that he fears the authorities will resort to a "strong-arm scenario" in his runoff with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych on 21 November, Interfax reported. According to Yushchenko, the strong-arm scenario is one in which Yanukovych is declared the winner on the morning of 22 November irrespective of the vote count. "If we encounter large-scale falsification, we will lead people to the streets and we will defend our rights," Reuters quoted Yushchenko as saying. In an address to voters published the previous day, Yushchenko called on his supporters to sign up for "voluntary people's teams" organized by his local election staffs and pledged to mobilize "millions of citizens for the defense of the constitution." JM
More news coming out today (I have copied it from INTERFAX):
Yushchenko's HQ in Luhansk attacked
LUHANSK. Nov 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The election headquarters of Ukraine's opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko in the Luhansk region was attacked at around 3:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. Moscow time) on Sunday.
The attackers arrived by cars with license plates issued in the Donetsk region, an Interfax correspondent reported.
Several people were injured in a fight between the building's security guards and the attackers. They are receiving medical aid on the spot. The building was damaged in the incident.
A police unit has arrived at the site of the incident. Two people are reported to have been detained.
This from REPORTERs WITHOUT BORDERs:
Journalist brutally beaten in Kirovograd
Reporters Without Borders condemned a brutal attack on Alexander Danutsa, head of news and presenter on TV-Stymul in Kirovograd, central Ukraine in ongoing systematic harassment of independent media ahead of presidential elections on 21 November.
The worldwide press freedom organisation warned the interior minister Mykola Bilokon in a letter "what might happen next to Alexander Danutsa" and urged him "to do everything possible to protect the journalist".
Danutsa was attacked in the early evening of 18 November as he got into the lift at the Turist
Hotel that houses his TV studios. Two blackclad men followed him in and seized his camera and videotape and then brutally beat him.
The tape contained evidence linking local authorities to fraudulent activities in advance of polling.
His assailants told him that it was his last warning and that he should stop reporting on the election campaign. He was taken to hospital with concussion and bruising.
Danutsa said he had been receiving constant threats in connection with his reporting. A few days earlier an anonymous caller told him, "there's a plot reserved for you at the cemetery" and on another occasion, "they are waiting for you at the hospital".
The channel itself has also received numerous threats since it began broadcasting the news programme headed by Danutsa. TV-Stymul also relays opposition television Kanal 5 in the Kirovograd region.
OK, I will stop. There is so much happening, so much both good and bad.
