After riot police stormed Kyiv's Independence Square early today and used violence to remove 400 peaceful demonstrators, Western diplomats quickly condemned the brutality.
Berkut, Ukraine’s feared riot
police, raided the EuroMaidan camp at Maidan Nezalezhnosti just after 4 a.m.
Dozens were reportedly hospitalized, while many others sought sanctuary at
nearby St. Michael’s monastery.
Some 10,000 demonstrators as
well as opposition leaders turned out to the square on the night before to
protest the Ukrainian government’s decision to abandon a long-anticipated
association agreement with the European Union and to demand the resignations of
President Viktor Yanukovych and the government of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who has not been afraid
to speak his mind about Yanukovych’s recent decisions, wrote on Twitter that
the attacks in Kyiv were “worrying” and that Sweden was following events
closely.
“Repression against pro-EU manifestations in
Kiev deeply worrying,” he said.
The country’s ambassador to Ukraine, Andreas von Beckerath,
wrote on Twitter, “Very disturbing reports on police brutality at
Maida(n). Violence against peaceful demonstrators unacceptable and opposite of
EU-integration.”
European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fuele, who has been a cheerleader for Ukraine’s signing of the association and free trade deals with the 28-member bloc, wrote on Twitter that Ukrainian authorities “refrained from signing the (association and free trade deals) but they should not refrain from respecting freedom of assembly&expression.”
Edgars Rinkevics, Lativian minister of foreign affairs, also on Twitter wrote: “Disturbing news from Ukraine, I condemn police violence against proeuropean demonstration in Kyiv.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that “President Yanukovych is miscalculating badly as regards the Association Agreement with EU and towards the people of Ukraine.”
Both past and present U.S.
ambassadors to Ukraine also condemned the violence.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said that
he “obviously condemn(s)” the actions of riot police today and would have more
to say on the matter. Pyatt this week warned against violence against peaceful
protesters at EuroMaidan on the part of authorities. He said that such actions
would strain U.S.-Ukrainian relations, and that sanctions against members of
Ukraine’s government were not out of the question.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukriane Steven Pifer wrote on
Twitter that he was saddened to hear of the violence against protesters and
warned that the events were not in line with Western values.
“Yanukovych use of force against protestors in Ukraine is
dangerous turn in events. Will further isolate him from EU and U.S.,” he said. “Bet many EU leaders now who are very glad they did NOT sign EU-Ukraine association agreement.”
In a statement posted to its
website, the U.S. Embassy formally condemned this morning’s violence. “We urge the government of Ukraine to respect the rights of civil
society and the principles of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, which
are fundamental to the democratic values that are the bedrock of our strategic
partnership,” the statement reads. “We support the rights of citizens to air
their views through an open and free media and through non-violent rallies.”
The embassy’s statement also touched on
Ukraine’s current chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
In assuming this earlier this year, Prime Minister Azarov said that Ukraine
would make human rights, media freedom and conflict
resolution priorities during its chairmanship.
“In the spirit of
the principles embodied by the OSCE, we urge the Government of Ukraine to
foster a positive atmosphere for civil society and for the free exchange and
expression of opinions among the citizens of Ukraine,” reads the embassy’s
statement.
Kyiv Post editor Christopher J. Miller can be reached at [email protected], and on Twitter at
@ChristopherJM.
