http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/03/world//europe/ukraine-unrest.html?pagewanted=all
Hello Everyone:
Two things tell me it's getting close to the end of the calendar year. First, the number of retail promotions over stuffing my inbox. Second, the selection of really cool topics is getting slim. Be that as it may, current events in the Ukraine has provided us with something to talk about. Before I launch into another case of protests and landmarks, I'd like to draw your attention to another worthy cause. The National Trust for Historic Preservation
(http://www.preservationnation.org) has teamed up with Amazon to make year-end charitable giving easy and fun. When you go to
http://smile.amazon.com, not only can you purchase some really great gifts for friends, family, and yourself, you can also donate a percentage of purchase to the National Trust. It's easy. All you have to do is check off the box next to the National Trust and you're done. Not only did you make your hard to please aunt happy but also you made it possible for the folks at the National Trust to continue such programs as Green Labs, Saving Places, and Main Street. One more thing before I launch into today's rant, the National Trust is taking nominations for its 2014 list of endangered sites around the United States. If you like to nominate a site or find out more about this annual list please go to
11most@savingplaces.org. Now, shall we rant on.
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Independence Square
commons.wikimedia.org |
Back in June of this year, Gezi Park in Istanbul, Turkey took over Taksim Square was taken over by protestors who objected to government planned development of the area. This set off an Occupy-type movement and forced the Turkish government to back off their plans for a retail/commercial development. Six months later, in Kiev, Ukraine, protesters have taken over another land marked space, Independence Square. Instead of protesting a proposed development scheme, the occupiers of the square are demanding the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich for refusing to sign accords with the European Union. What makes this a topic for our consideration is we have another example of the people reclaiming public space to make their demands for inclusion in the European Union known.
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Independence Square at night
ukraineunderscope.com |
Independence Square historically has been a symbol of political activity in the Ukraine. It's name in Ukrainian is
Maidan Nezalezhnosti, literally Independence Square. It is the central plaza in the capital city of Kiev. Throughout its long history, the square has been known by many different names. In 1991, following Ukraine's independence from the slowly disintegrating Soviet Union, the square was given its current name. As a symbol of political activity, the
Maidan, its alternate name, became the center of public protests. In the autumn of 1990, it was the site of students' protests and hunger strikes, Revolution on Granite, which resulted in the resignation of the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR Vitaly Masol. In the 2000s, it was the location of the biggest political protests: Ukraine without Kuchma and the Orange Revolution. It was during the Orange Revolution, in late 2004, that the
Maidan received global media attention as protesters set up camp for several weeks, enduring bitter cold and snow. Following the Orange Revolution, Independence Square continued to be a focus of political protests but not on the same scale as the Orange Revolution, until now.
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Protesters in Independence Square
online.wsj.com |
The protestors in Kiev have set up an Occupy-type in order to make their demands known. They are demanding the resignation of the president who refuses to sign the EU accords. President Yanukovich's reason for not signing the accords are that he was on the verge of securing lower gas prices from Russia and urged the opposition to wait until elections in 2015 to challenge him. While Mr. Yanukovich appears to be taking a very casual outlook on the matter, the reasons for accepting the EU's offer of an "association agreement" are quite serious. By accepting the agreement, the Ukraine would have been eligible for loans and favorable trade relations with Europe which would provide log-term benefits and some short-term relief for the Ukrainian economy teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Russia countered the offer with immediate incentives such as big loans and lower gas prices, delaying financial crisis and putting off a much needed overhaul of the economy. The Russian offer is something that appealed to the president but not the younger generation looking toward a European future.
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Anti-government protesters in Kiev
theguardian.com |
This brings us to the reason why this protest, like the one in Istanbul was organized. In Istanbul, the primary purpose was to prevent the destruction of a historic urban common. In Kiev, the primary purpose is forcing the Yanukovich-led government into signing the EU agreement so the economy in the former Soviet satellite would not fall into the abyss of bankruptcy. What ties the two together is that the protests were organized to resist a the interests of that capital given a higher priority over the interests of the ordinary citizen. In this case, it would appear that maintaining good relations with Russia than the real needs of the people. The Russians see a deep potential trade partnership with the Ukraine. This potential partnership would put a Russian-dominated country on the borders of Poland and Lithuania, which have pushed hard for the Ukraine to join the EU.
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Protesters inside City Hall
Kiev, Ukraine
novinite.com |
Like the protesters in Istanbul, the movement has been largely confined to Independence Square but has the potential to jump to an urban-wide scale. Resistance to President Yanukovich's refusal to accept, what appears to be, a very generous and beneficial offer from the EU is complete disregard of the will of the people. The country, classified as a middle-income state by the World Bank, has struggled to deal with significant issues such as an underdeveloped infrastructure, and transportation, corruption and bureaucracy. Since the world financial crisis in 2008, the Ukraine has been struggling to recover. Integration with Europe would provide relief and make it possible for the country to recover. Perhaps, what is interesting to note is that the anti-Yanukovich protests are confined to Kiev. As of a few hours ago, the resistance has not spread to other towns or the rural areas, thus suggesting an urban agenda.
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Protesters with EU Flag
Kiev, Ukraine
en.ria.ru |
In Henri Lefebvre's essay,
Right to the City, the author highlights 'the urban' as a focal point of resistance and activism for claiming the 'right to the city.' This is understood as the right of urban dwellers to transform the processes that run the production and use of urban spaces, in this case, Independence Square. The protesters in Kiev have transformed the square from a historic gathering point to a forum for expressing their outrage over the president's reluctance to join the EU and apparently, re-deploy Soviet era cooperation with Russia. I have no doubt that the quick mobilization of an Occupy-type movement was the result of the social media. The initial resistance organized at Independence Square had a clear urban agenda, to reclaim the right of the ordinary urbanite who uses the city and to place it over the right over those who brazenly disregard those individuals who rely on the use value of the city: work, school, housing, and so forth. Thus, the nature of the protest is beginning to shift from a national focus, inclusion in the EU, to an agenda based on civil, collective, and individual rights.
In recent years, large-scale protests have taken on a more urban characteristic. The reason for this is the 'right of the city' has become about global urbanization. The Euro-centric outlook of the protesters is no accident. They are a highly educated, diligent workforce who live in a city advantageously located on the Black Sea. This gives the inhabitants a broader perspective on the world. As events unfold, it'll be interesting to see what form the protests take. Will they spread to other towns and the rural areas or stay confined to Kiev? Will other issues, not related to Ukraine's inclusion in the EU, be raised? For now, Independence Square and the buildings surrounding it become the platform for protest.
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