It isn’t clear what authorities have to lose. After all, if you have a couple thousand angry people, best let them wear themselves out shouting rather than trying to irritate them further. But it seems they once again chose another way of dealing with protesters.
On May 18, opposition parties will hold their “Rise, Ukraine” rally on European Square in central Kyiv. The ruling Party of Regions also was given permission to hold their own rally at the same exact day, time and, yes, place. At least, that was the plan until city authorities decided to have the government rally only after the opposition one leaves.
But municipal authorities also seem interested in using a variety of tricks. For one, many roads and bridges in Kyiv will be shut down for roadworks when the opposition rally will be underway.
Two major streets located on the same road that intersects European Square – Hrushevskoho and Mazepy – were closed on May 10 until May 19. The Paton Bridge, which connects the left and right banks of Kyiv, will be partially closed on May 18-19, also for repairs. Prospect Peremohy will be shut down near Kyiv’s city limit from the northwestern side. Several other roads will also be closed.
Some, of course, are more paranoid than others. When the opposition held their rally on April 12 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv all the public transport – trams, buses and other vehicles – converged on the central square and streets, effectively blocking the rally. The police and road maintenance services also closed bridges. Even manholes on many central streets were open. It seems like the only thing left for Hennadiy Kernes, the strongly pro-presidential city mayor, was to instruct his subordinates to throw banana peels on the road.
But perhaps Kyiv’s authorities will come up with something even more creative.
