In response to two-month-long public demonstrations, President Viktor Yanukovych took his chance to establish a police state in Ukraine. On January 16, the president's Party of Regions together with allies from the Communist Party of Ukraine voted for a number of controversial laws and amendments that were immediately labeled by media as "dictatorship laws". The legislation which infringes on basic human rights and freedoms sent thousands of Ukrainians to the streets on January 19 for a new mass protest.
While most of the people were peacefully rallying at Independence Square (the Maidan), a group of protesters tried to occupy the government headquarters, which caused inevitable clashes with riot police. The protesters dispersed after police showered them with cold water from water jets in sub-zero temperatures.
It's hard to say whether the violence was the result of a planned provocation or the expression of utter despair. And people do have a reason to be in despair. At first the government buried all aspirations for integration with Europe and made a shift eastward; now Yanukovych is cracking down on basic liberties.
For the past two months, the protesters stood up to the police, the political pressure and the cold. Now Yanukovych has decided to play another trump card against the protesters; putting legal pressure on them to cease their resistance. The new amendments silence the media, restrain NGOs, give a green light for harassing participants in peaceful protests and boost arbitrariness in the judicial system.
Read more: Ukraine: A new island of dictatorship in Europe - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
While most of the people were peacefully rallying at Independence Square (the Maidan), a group of protesters tried to occupy the government headquarters, which caused inevitable clashes with riot police. The protesters dispersed after police showered them with cold water from water jets in sub-zero temperatures.
It's hard to say whether the violence was the result of a planned provocation or the expression of utter despair. And people do have a reason to be in despair. At first the government buried all aspirations for integration with Europe and made a shift eastward; now Yanukovych is cracking down on basic liberties.
For the past two months, the protesters stood up to the police, the political pressure and the cold. Now Yanukovych has decided to play another trump card against the protesters; putting legal pressure on them to cease their resistance. The new amendments silence the media, restrain NGOs, give a green light for harassing participants in peaceful protests and boost arbitrariness in the judicial system.
Read more: Ukraine: A new island of dictatorship in Europe - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
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