Wearing military style clothes, dozens of political activists held a fashionable protest in the center of Lviv on Sept. 13.
Shouting “Hold on to your pants, they are undressing us,” they mocked the lawmakers’ bill, which may ban them from wearing khaki clothes and other army-related items.
Passed in the first reading, the bill stipulates that no one’s allowed to wear military style uniforms apart from specially-designated army units and police.
Lawmakers from the Party of Regions initiated the bill saying they want to protect ordinary citizens from fake policemen and army personnel. But critics say that it also aims to curb rightwing political demonstrations where military wear is a popular uniform.
Lacking details, the proposal raised criticism not only from ultra-wing nationalist in western Ukraine, but also from hunters, fishermen and even paintball players.
“People have stocks of military uniforms when they went on sale in 1990s [The fall of the Soviet Union led to the army’s disintegration],” said fashion critic Petro Mamchich. “It’s ridiculous to think that people will accept this law.”
But deputy Vasyl Grytsak, one of the law’s authors, doesn’t see any reasons to protest.
“Everything is logical. Civilians can’t wear the seven types of camouflage, which are approved by the government, but they can wear any other type: American, French, etc. Our policemen are well instructed, they won’t fine those who wear legal camouflage,” assured Grytsak.
Not everyone’s convinced. Lyudmila Zamyatina, who wears her military costume when she plays strikeball, said there will be misunderstandings.
“It is so typically Ukrainian to pass a bill with so many field open for interpretation,” said Zamyatina.
Kyiv Post staff writer Alyona Zhuk can be reached at [email protected]
