Euromaidan (, Russian: Евромайдан, Jevromajdán) was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of 21 November 2013 with large public protests demanding closer European integration. Protesters also stated they joined because of the dispersal of protesters on 30 November and "a will to change life in Ukraine". The scope of the protests evolved over subsequent months,Timeline: Political crisis in Ukraine and Russia's occupation of Crimea , Reuters (8 March 2014) and by 25 January 2014 the protests were fueled by the perception of widespread government corruption, abuse of power, and violation of human rights in Ukraine.Yanukovych Offers Opposition Leaders Key Posts , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (25 January 2014) By February 2014 the protests had largely escalated into violence, resulting in the Revolution of Dignity and the resignation of Azarov's government and ousting of President Yanukovych. This resulted in the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
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21–29 November 2013 Euromaidan started in the night of 21 November 2013 when up to 2,000 protesters gathered at Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti and began to organize themselves with the help of social networks."Ukrainians to celebrate Day of Dignity and Freedom on November 21, Unity Day on January 22" , Interfax-Ukraine (13 November 2014) Противники приостановки евроинтеграции Украины в ночи вышли на улицы Киева Opponents of suspension Ukraine's European integration in the night took to the streets of Kyiv , NEWSru (22 November 2013) After he heard of the Ukrainian government decree to suspend preparations for signing of the Association Agreement on 21 November 2013, opposition party Batkivshchyna faction leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk called, via Twitter, for protests (which he dubbed #Euromaidan) on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Post by Arseniy Yatsenyuk , Twitter (21 November 2013) The blog of Yuri Andreev on Korrespondent.net asked people to gather on Maidan Nezalezhnosti that day at 22:30. УВАГА! Збір сьогодні на Майдані Незалежності о 22:30!!! Watch out! Gather today at Maidan Nezalezhnosti at 22:30!! , Korrespondent.net (21 November 2013)
Approximately 2,000 people converged in the evening of 22 November on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) to protest the decision of the Ukrainian government to suspend the process of integration of Ukraine into the European Union. In the following days, the opposition and pro-EU parties led the protests.
On 22 November in a telephone call with Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė Viktor Yanukovych admitted that he cannot sign the agreement due to Russia's blackmail and threats to restrict imports.
A larger rally took place on 24 November, when 50,000 to 200,000 people gathered on Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The pro-EU demonstrators carrying Ukrainian and EU flags chanted "Ukraine is Europe" and sang the national anthem as they marched toward European Square for the rally. News agencies claimed this to be the largest protest since the Orange Revolution of 2004. After a small group of protesters attempted to storm the Government Building, police used tear gas to disperse them. Police officials claimed that protesters had been first to use tear gas and smoke grenades. According to the General Prosecutor's Office, more than 400 people were injured from 24 November to 13 December, including 200 policemen and 18 students.
On 25 November jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko began a hunger strike in protest of "President Yanukovych's reluctance to sign the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement".Jailed Tymoshenko on hunger strike over EU U-turn by Ukraine , Euronews (25 November 2013)
A 26 November 2013 statement by Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov saying "I affirm with full authority that the negotiating process over the Association Agreement is continuing, and the work on moving our country closer to European standards is not stopping for a single day" did not appease protesters who blockaded the government building during the cabinet session during which Azarov made the above-mentioned statement. The same day the city of Kyiv installed a heating tent (hot tea and sandwiches were served) at Maidan Nezalezhnosti, where about 2,000 students were rallying. According to Kyiv Post this was part of a "Ukrainian authorities' attempt to portray themselves as allies with the demonstrators who, in many cases, are calling for the government to resign if it doesn't sign an association agreement with the European Union this week". The same day it was reported that social media accounts of protesters were being hacked and disreputable messages being posted in place of rally news and commentary.
On 26 and 27 November 2013 Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Loreta Graužinienė and Polish Sejm Member Marcin Święcicki spoke to the protesters at Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Musical acts like Ruslana put on performances for demonstrators on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Руслана Лижичко разом із однодумцями оголосила голодування на майдані Ruslana together with like-minded hunger strike on Maidan , TSN (25 November 2013) On 27 November it was reported that the Kharkiv Polytechnical Institute staff allegedly checked class attendance, threatening truant students who attend the pro-EU rallies in Kyiv with expulsion. In other universities, administrators forbade students from joining pro-EU protests, posting political commentary to social media networks, and wearing Ukraine-EU ribbons. According to Euronews the protesters in Kyiv numbered ten thousand people, many of them students.
At noon of 28 November (the eighth day of protests) about 3,000 people gathered on Maidan Nezalezhnosti; no party symbols were reported, only Ukrainian flags and European Union flags. The crowd grew to 4,000 by the evening while it was again entertained by popular Ukrainian artists.Musicians liven up EuroMaidan stage , Kyiv Post (29 November 2013)
On 29 November 2013, it became clear that Ukraine did not sign the Association Agreement at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius. The number of protesters in Kyiv swelled to 10,000.Ukraine fails to sign landmark deal at EU summit , Euronews (29 November 2013)Ukraine's rejection of EU deal brings rival rallies at home , Euronews (29 November 2013)Ukraine opposition demands leader resign after EU snub , Seven News (30 November 2013) In Lviv, protesters numbered some 20,000. As in Kyiv the Lviv protesters locked hands in a human chain, symbolically linking Ukraine to the European Union (organizers claimed that some 100 people even crossed the Ukrainian-Polish border to extend the chain to the European Union). Euronews reported that protesters in Kyiv believed the rally should go on and were calling for the second Azarov Government's and President Viktor Yanukovych's resignation.
30 November attack on protesters
On the night of 30 November 2013 at 04:00, armed with batons, stun grenades, and tear gas, Berkut special police units attacked and dispersed all protesters from Maidan Nezalezhnosti while suppressing mobile phone communications. The police attacked not only the protesters (most of whom failed to put up resistance) but also other civilians in the vicinity of Maidan Nezalezhnosti, when the Berkut forces chased unarmed people several hundreds of meters and continued to beat them with batons and feet.Berkut dispersed Euromaidan ("Беркут" розігнав Євромайдан) . insider. 30 November 2013 Initially, 35 people were injured as a result of the militia raid, including a Reuters cameraman and a photographer. Other protesters were detained.dispersed maidan (БЕРКУТ РОЗІГНАВ МАЙДАН) .Ukrayinska Pravda. 11 November 2013 Most protesters were students. At 09:20 Berkut besieged the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery where approximately 50 Euromaidan activists, including the injured, found sanctuary. Police spokeswoman Olha Bilyk justified the police raid by saying that protesters were interfering with preparations to decorate the square for the Christmas and New Year's holidays, and accused them of throwing stones and burning logs. Minister of Internal Affairs Vitaliy Zakharchenko later apologized and claimed "riot police abused their power" and promised a thorough investigation.Pro-EU protesters in Kyiv call for government's ouster, CNN (2 December 2013) Via state television he added "if there are calls for mass disturbances, then we will react to this harshly".
In an official statement, Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Anatoliy Pryshko confirmed that 79 people were injured during the raid, including 6 students, 4 reporters, and 2 foreigners; 10 people were hospitalized. In addition, 7 policemen were also injured.
On 30 November 2013 by 13:00 another spontaneous meeting was taking place at St. Michael's Square near the St. Michael's Monastery as Maidan Nezalezhnosti continued to be guarded by the Berkut formations. Ambassadors from some ten countries of the European Union, among which was the Ambassador of the European Union in Ukraine, Jan Tombiński, visited protesters at the meeting. According to Hromadske.TV, by 16:00 the meeting gathered some 5,000 people who were shouting "Won't forgive", and "Revolution".At the Michael Square 5 thousand yell "Cad onto Yolka" (На Михайлівській 5 тисяч скандують "Хама на Йолку") At St. Michael Square protesters started to form units of self-resistance. Approximately 10,000 protesters remained in the evening of the 30th, with an estimated 10,000 more from Lviv travelling to Kyiv on Saturday night.
On 30 November opposition parties Batkivshchyna, UDAR and Svoboda set up "Headquarters of National Resistance" throughout Ukraine.In Transcarpathia, the regional headquarters of National Resistance has been established , Uzhgorod.in (3 December 2013)
1 December 2013 Euromaidan riots
A series of riots occurred in several locations of downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on 1 December 2013 in response to a violent police crackdown on Euromaidan's peaceful protesters and journalist on the night of 30 November. The day saw the highest numbers of journalists injured by police in a single event since Ukraine's independence in 1991. Also, 1 December became the first instance of a public building being occupied by protesters in the modern history of the country.
2–7 December 2013
The day after the riots, peaceful protests continued to take place and occupy Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv, with tens of thousands attending, while thousands blocked the main Cabinet buildings. According to BBC correspondent David Stern "They have set up almost a military camp of sorts, and have erected a very impressive barricade around the perimeter of the demonstration". David M. Herszenhorn of The New York Times described the square as "oddly festive" and added that "Protest leaders, sensing that momentum had turned to their advantage, continued to add infrastructure to their operation, bringing in television monitors and erecting the small tent city". Elsewhere, Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk announced a general strike in solidarity with the movement. 1,000 Internal Troops (National Guard) were deployed to Kyiv around key government buildings by the Interior Ministry. The parliament committee on statehood and self-governance recommended a vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Mykola Azarov 's government, opening a way for such a vote on 3 December. The Kyiv City Council building remained occupied by protesters. Workers at Kyiv City Council were still allowed to enter and work.