Winter on Fire Page #3

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-Glory to the heroes!

Maidan taught Ukrainian youth

how to organize ourselves.

Now we know that our plans

might become real.

We can change this country on our own.

We just took bags

and filled them with snow and water.

We used them to build

robust constructions.

Even when it got warmer,

the barricades didn't melt at once.

Finally, they became

our solid foundations.

We found welding materials,

rods and welded spike strips.

We made more massive

and durable constructions.

When people saw these barricades,

they said they looked like historical

barricades from the 16th century.

So why wouldn't we use

the laws, rules,

and hierarchy of our ancestors?

This brought about the creation

of Maidan Defense Units.

Some Maidan Defense Units were named

after the home towns of its participants.

WE ARE FORMING A WOMEN'S

RAPID REACTION UNI People came to Maidan to win.

This was a people's army...

and of course,

I came to train this army.

I taught them how to resist the attacks

of these monsters in uniforms.

We began to gather and train

how to behave correctly,

how to defend ourselves

and our friends,

how to control our emotions

not to provoke others,

and how to act legally

in tense situations.

We were patrolling

the perimeter of Maidan,

guarding and defending people.

We were doing our best to keep order.

There was not even a single bottle

of beer on Maidan and it's a fact.

The activists of Maidan

were people who stood here,

while the activists of AutoMaidan

were the car owners.

They were like an outer circle,

the cavalry of Maidan.

It was my school.

I never went to school before.

But I am staying here in Maidan.

I volunteered in the tech tent.

I was charging phones

and helping people,

and helping people use the Internet

so they can connect with their families.

President Yanukovych

entered into an agreement with Russia

and by doing so he distanced

the country even further from the EU.

I'm against Yanukovych.

He's not good for us as a president.

His Berkut beat a woman

in front of my eyes.

They beat girls, they beat boys.

They even beat me.

When I came here, I found many friends.

All of them are like my brothers.

I started writing stories

on my Facebook page

about people who came to Maidan.

I'd like to write a story about you.

-Really? Where have you seen me?

-I see you here every day.

I communicated with Serhiy Nigoyan,

I was writing a story about him

and where he came from.

That girl has drawn my portrait?

I'm supposed to live in this country.

This is my future, why I stay here.

All of us, we are one.

Brother for brother,

neighbor for neighbor.

In Maidan, we didn't have nationalities,

we didn't have language groups...

It was only people

who didn't want to live with the regime.

From the very beginning,

the representatives

of all religions were on Maidan,

as the "Men of Prayer."

We tried to help people of all means,

not only by prayer,

we communicated with people.

We tried to put their hearts

into what they were doing,

and keep their faith.

We supported people

in their aspirations,

concerning not only their future,

but also the future of our state.

Different religions came together

without conflict,

in order to achieve one mutual

and important goal.

You know, when people were singing

the national anthem every three hours,

I had a feeling

that it became a prayer.

-Glory to Ukraine!

-Glory to the heroes!

-Glory to Ukraine!

-Glory to the heroes!

Happy New Year, Ukraine!

Instead of conducting negotiations,

the government chose to unleash

a bacchanalia of dictatorship.

Vote by raising your hands.

We live in the 21st century

in a civilized country,

and our lawmakers in the parliament

vote by raising hands?

What a show! Come on!

What are you doing, guys?

You vote and adopt

a series of stupid, tyrannical laws!

It's absurd!

According to these laws, you can't

wear motorcycle helmets and hard hats,

you can't drive

a group of 5 cars at once,

even at weddings and funerals...

I found my ski helmet

and an old camouflage jacket

and wore them to work.

I told them,

"You can arrest me any time".

People were wearing pots,

diving masks and flippers.

They took anything they could find.

You see a lot of people

wearing kitchen pots.

They forgot to put that in these laws.

They should add that immediately.

The people interpreted it

with such irony and defiance.

Every 20th person showed the government

how pissed off they were

with these so-called "laws".

The catalyst were the laws

passed on January 16th.

That weekend we had a veche.

Every weekend we had a veche,

a meeting of the people in Maidan.

It's already been two months

and no results!

This is the 9th veche,

and we need a concrete plan!

On Sunday, the opposition

leaders came out to the stage,

but hadn't said anything worthwhile again.

Shame!

People were so disappointed

by their lack of action,

they decided to tell

these politicians where to get off.

I'm one of you.

Everyone knows about AutoMaidan

and what we are doing for Ukraine.

We are standing by your side.

We'll march peacefully to the Parliament,

and we'll stand there

as long as it takes.

Those who agree, raise your hands!

Thank you!

I'm calling to all lawmakers of Ukraine.

You are chosen by the people!

Each of you must come to the Parliament

and cancel these shameful laws!

Otherwise tomorrow,

we'll be arrested and thrown in jail!

For what?

For expressing our civil rights?

For 30 minutes we were trying

to persuade the police to back down,

and let us approach

the Parliament peacefully.

That's it.

They responded by cursing at us.

I appeal to the police.

You gave an oath to serve

the Ukrainian nation,

not to Yanukovych and his gang!

Free the way for peaceful citizens!

While standing in the right flank,

we tried to find a compromise

with the Internal Troops peacefully.

Turmoil began in the left flank.

Vitali Klitschko and other opposition

party leaders tried to pacify the crowd,

but the protesters didn't listen to them.

At this point they had

no authority or influence anymore.

People were disillusioned

by their inability to

take real responsibility for something.

There, on Hrushevskogo,

everyone's patience ran out.

In what country in the world would people

be able to live with these laws?

It's easier to go directly to prison.

Can you imagine?

Infuriating people to such despair

that a banker and one of the most

influential attorneys from Lviv

came to Hrushevskogo Street

to throw stones at the police.

Strategically our position on

Hrushevskogo Street was very unfavorable.

But it was a perfect vantage-ground

for the Internal Troops.

They started shooting at us

with rubber bullets.

They also attached bolts and screws

to stun grenades,

so they caused

as much damage as possible.

The Ukrainian people

will determine who's in charge.

We chose this president,

and we can take him out.

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