“Glory to the Hounds and Chasers...”

Photo by Orest Krukovskyj

On March 9 the state authorities started the current celebrations of Kobzar’s birthday by the solemn massacre on the square near the monument to T.Shevchenko. The still actual President together with his team tried to prove their faithfulness to the ideals of democracy with the help of rubber sticks, shields, dirty abuse, irritant gas and arrests. To promote the liberty of information and expression the guards of order pulled the local and foreign journalists down from the university wall breaking their heads and cameras. At that very time the crystal-clear Minister of internal affairs in classic “a la Pinochet” dark glasses explained on the national channels on pigeon national language that celebrations are going in common stream without any excesses. Certainly he knew nothing about simple trifles - some 214 arrested and dismissed among regional militia departments, beaten woman - Parliament member and other 62 thrashed by his glorious hawks. And, of course, the special troopers eager to conversate acted by their own arresting and pushing the students into jug-cars on the railway station. The surely incomplete groups of young rebels arrived next day by trains to Lviv, yet met by quite complete well organized groups of public representatives in almost invisible militian trousers under the long dark coats.

On the improvized courts in the Capital the most active rebels were informed that they would have enough time for conversation, for according to the article 71 of Criminal Codex of Ukraine the penalty provides could be from 2 up to 12 years of jail for such unauthorized actions. To be franc, the Constitution Guarant, leaving for the sudden vacations in Crimea let them free, yet keeping a few of them still several days imprisoned. On Monday, March 12 the liberated students ignored the high Christian caress of the sovereign and organized mass students strikes, though the noise of them was much less powerful than that of sea, so tender to the highest ears.