Caitlin Keane, Staff Writer Tensions have been rising between the Ukrainian people and their government for the past year, as they have been pushing for a more relaxed European style of leadership as opposed to the harsh and oppressive one they experience now. These tensions came to a head in November of 2013, when Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a pact with the European Union that would begin moving Ukraine towards a more western style of government. When citizens learned of Yanukovych’s decision, local rallies broke out throughout the country. These were nothing like the horrific displays that are making headlines today, though. These began on November 30th, when Ukraine’s special police, referred to as “Berkut” used unnecessary violence to break up a peaceful student protest in Kiev. When the citizens in Kiev got word of this, they flooded the streets in millions and have not stopped since. Contrary to what many people believe, these protests are not so much about Ukraine’s government policy as they are the immoral actions happening within the government. President Yanukovych’s decision to not sign the pact was just another outrage to add to the long list of discrepancies he has racked up since being sworn into office. Many people believe that the president chose not to sign the pact because he gave into pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainians are fed up with being controlled by a government that cares more about their own personal agenda than the good of the citizens. Ukraine also has no independent media, so, similar to many communist countries, all of the information they receive is filtered and distorted to reflect what the government wants them to see. It is almost impossible for people to find the truth, and those who try to uncover it are punished.Tatyana Chornoval, a journalist who reported about Yanukovych’s immoral actions, was severely beaten by five intruders for trying to expose what was really happening behind closed doors. At this point, the protests in Ukraine have taken a turn for the worst. As the number of protesters continues to rise, so does the level of violence associated with these protests. So far, hundreds of people have been injured and even killed. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian police are choosing to fight fire with fire, responding to protestors with extreme violence. There have been many reports of physical violence as well as the use of tear gas and bombs from both sides. Government officials are terrified that Ukraine is on the brink of civil war. In a Huffington Post article, Peter Denkovets, a 34 year old citizen of Ukraine said, "A revolution is under way in Ukraine. What revolution takes place peacefully? Each side is showing its strength. The government —its troops — and we our fearlessness." This turmoil is ever-changing, and takes place in the shadow of the Sochi Olympics, which may force it to take a back seat in order to save the image of Russia worldwide. Photo credit to www.boston.com.
