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The 20th anniversary of Ukrainian independence on Aug. 24 was marked by clashes and a brief standoff between riot police and protesters as tensions are running higher over the prolonged detention of several opposition figures.

The 20th anniversary of Ukrainian independence on Aug. 24 was marked by clashes and a brief standoff between riot police and protesters as tensions are running higher over the prolonged detention of several opposition figures

Leaders from 12 opposition parties gathered at the monument to Taras Shevchenko in downtown Kyiv. They tore into President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration in passionate speeches to a crowd of roughly 5,000 supporters.

They slammed his rule as authoritarian and decried the ongoing imprisonment of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, as well as former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko.

The united front of the opposition – the first time that the myriad of party leaders have appeared together in public – was reflected in the rainbow of flags that colored the protest.

As flag-wavers jostled for position in the crowd, Oleh Tiahnybok, leader of the right-wing Svoboda Party, and Arseniy Yatseniuk, head of the Front Zmin political bloc, stood separately from Tymoshenko’s right-hand man, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov, as he spoke.

The protest raised questions of how Ukraine’s opposition will stand up to what it sees as Yanukovych’s attempts to seize authoritarian control. Despite the show of unity on Independence Day, analysts said the competing aims and personal ambitions of opposition leaders could undermine attempts to form a solid opposition force.

Activists began to flood Shevchenko Park from around 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 24, replacing supporters of Yanukovych who had gathered early in the morning for his ceremonial placing of a bouquet of flowers at the statue of Ukraine’s national poet.

The opposition leaders didn’t arrive until around 11:30 a.m., a half-hour behind schedule, claiming that loudspeakers had been delayed by police.

Turchynov read out a letter from the imprisoned Tymoshenko.

Girls dressed in traditional embroidered outfits sing folk songs while celebrating Independence Day in Kyiv on Aug.24. (AP Photo)

She is on trial on charges of abuse of power relating to a 2009 natural gas deal with Russia. The U.S. and European Union have expressed concerns that the case against Tymoshenko is a politically motivated attempt to sideline Yanukovych’s main opponent.

Turchynov also gave a speech, followed by a plethora of opposition figures, including Anatoliy Hrytsenko, who heads Civic Position, and Oleksandr Martynenko, deputy leader of Our Ukraine, and others.

The speakers roused the crowd with slashing rhetoric against the administration, accusing the pro-presidential Party of Regions of authoritarianism, persecution of the opposition, disrespecting Ukrainian culture, chumminess with Russia and large-scale corruption and theft from the country.

Thousands of supporters responded with cries of “Shame!” and “Free Tymoshenko!”

Police block a few thousand protesters from reaching center

The Yanukovych administration has repeatedly denied claims it is squeezing the opposition and says it is clamping down on corruption.

One opposition figure who has been vocal in defending Tymoshenko and attacking the authorities – world champion boxer Vitali Klitschko – was conspicuous by his absence.

A handful of flags for his UDAR party were visible before the speeches began, but a witness told the Kyiv Post that these were rapidly taken down just before Turchynov began to speak. Klitschko is currently in training for a world championship bout in September.

As one opposition leader followed another with similar speeches, some in the crowd became fidgety.

After one hour, Turchynov called on the protesters to march to the presidential administration, and the crowd moved slowly along Volodymyrska Street. There, the demonstrators met lines of police enforcing a court-ordered ban on protests away from Shevchenko Park.

Ukrainian singer Tina Karol performs with other stars during a concert capped by a spectacular fireworks display on Independence Square. (Efrem Lukatsky)

The Interior Ministry said 4,000 police officers were on duty in Kyiv, part of the 18,000 deployed nationwide to keep the holiday peace.

Headed by Turchynov, the lead group burst through a soft line of uniformed police, before reaching the main line of riot police standing firm behind metal barriers. There were minor scuffles before opposition lawmakers, including Turchynov and Yatseniuk, called on supporters to remain peaceful.

A tense standoff followed as black-helmeted riot officers reinforced police lines, and large trucks created a second barrier. The crowd chanted “Revolution!” and “Out with the bandits!” The latter was a clear-cut reference to concerns by many that Yanukovych and his oligarch backers are turning Ukraine into a kleptocracy.

One hour after the first clashes, Yatseniuk led his activists away from the frontlines. Turchynov then called on protestors to head for Independence Square, the symbolic heart of the 2004 Orange Revolution, which thwarted Yanukovych’s first, fraud-tainted attempt to claim the presidency.

“Don’t give Yanukovych’s regime the gift of clashes on the national holiday,” Turchynov cried out to the crowed via speakers mounted on a car.

A small group of 300 activists eventually managed to reach the square, despite a police cordon manned by hundreds of officers. Drowned out by concert music, they eventually dispersed in early evening.


While events of Independence Day demonstrated a lack of unity, it also showed a clear step forward. The very fact that they could hold a joint protest and press common demands should not be underestimated.

Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta Center think tank

On Aug. 25, the Interior Ministry said a criminal case could be opened against Turchynov for alleged legal violations during the protest, raising the prospect of further arrests of opposition leaders.

Even without additional pressure, the opposition is already struggling to form a united force capable of garnering sufficient support to challenge Yanukovych.

Tymoshenko, the most popular opposition figure, could face up to 10 years in jail if convicted, and banned on taking part in elections. With about 13-17 percent public support, according to recent polls by the Razumkov think tank and TNS pollster, her Batkivshyna party closely trails the pro-presidential Party of Regions, which has about 15-20 percent backing.

Whether she can stand in elections or not, she is a divisive figure who has been unable to unite the opposition around her since Yanukovych defeated her in the February 2010 presidential election.

The diverse crowd on Independence Day, many of whom said they were not supporters of Tymoshenko, clearly outnumbered the smaller crowds who rallied on Aug. 8 against her arrest.

Yatseniuk, whose Front Zmin polled at 7 percent, as well as Svoboda leader Tiahnybok (3.6 percent) and UDAR head Klitschko (3.1 percent) are developing independent political forces.

Analysts said smaller parties, such as Rukh and Our Ukraine, could seek to merge with one of the larger parties in order to surmount the 3 percent threshold to enter parliament in elections scheduled for Oct. 2012.

Some observers expect new electoral legislation, which would likely pass easily through to raise the threshold to 5 percent in order to keep out smaller parties.

The process of merging has already begun in the pro-presidential camp. Sergiy Tigipko, deputy prime minister and leader of the Strong Ukraine party, which has 5.3 percent support, is set to join the Party of Regions. Analysts suggest that parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn’s party could be next to merge.

The draft electoral law could also stipulate that half of the 450-seat parliament is filled through voting for candidates in single-mandate districts. Currently, all deputies are elected from party lists according to a party’s share of the national vote.

There is so far no sign of a common opposition plan of action for the elections, but Yatseniuk suggested some coordination.

“In single-mandate districts opposition parties should not compete with each other and decide on one candidate. After we get to parliament, we shall unite and win the majority of seats,” he told the Kyiv Post.

Analysts said this would prove a challenge. “They will have to overcome their personal ambitions, because this is the only way they can get into parliament,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta Center think tank.

“While events of Independence Day demonstrated a lack of unity, it also showed a clear step forward. The very fact that they could hold a joint protest and press common demands should not be underestimated,” he added.

Kyiv Post staff writers Svitlana Tuchynska and Yuriy Onyshkiv can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].