International Student Movement

Kiev (Ukraine):
Student Movement attacked by Nationalists

The following report was sent in:

Today, 28 February, before the building of committees of the Parliament of Ukraine the protest campaign against the degradation of education took place. The event was organized by the student union "Direct Action", "Foundation of Regional Initiatives", and social movement "Vidsich". Event was attended by over 300 people. It was accompanied by colorful posters, and activists of student union provided the "fire support" in the form of pyrotechnics. The students again protested against the bill "On Higher Education", which permits an annual increase of fees for privately financed education even for present students, and does not guarantee a quoted free part-time and evening education. Among other shortcomings of the bill are formal- only and not real autonomy of universities, quantitative-only criteria to grant "university" status to education institutions, general preservation of the existing system of higher education with Ministry of Education and Science and other bureaucracy playing crucial role, not the teachers and students. Students also protested against ongoing commercialization of education, which is manifested in reductions of publicly financed education quota and reducing the overall expenditures on education.

After the previous protest members of parliament promised to meet with students and listen to them. However, no discussion has occurred. In fact, politicians repeatedly deceived citizens and pushed the controversial bill to the parliament.

The protest was announced as non-partisan. But in the morning when students began to gather near the metro station "Arsenalna" they saw that at their gathering place also representatives of "Svoboda" party, the Social Nationalist Assembly (paramilitary organization that advocates for "racial social-nationalism") and other ultra-rightist organizations are gathering. Representatives of ultra-rightist groups occupied the place at the building of parliamentary committees and did not allow students come closer particularly by pushing them. Unlike students, members of the "Svoboda" were chanting anti-semitic obscene slogans. "Svoboda" motivated its presents with "their hostility to the minister Tabachnik and all persons of Jewish nationality". Thus, students were not able to talk with representatives of the parliament, because ultra-rightists blocked access to the representatives, thus played on the side of power.

In addition, later that day around a dozen of members of "alternative" protest attacked several student activists, including girls. Among the aggrieved is a member of the independent student union "Direct Action" Andrei Movchan and the head of student board of national University "Kyiv Mohyla Academy" Yegor Stadny. The aggrieved is also an accidental pedestrian woman. Thus, people who during the campaign were shouting slogans about uniting for the TV news, their actions after the attack indicated how much they really ready to unite.

Student union "Direct Action" is convinced that "Svoboda", and other members of instigation are playing against the student movement, trying to split the students fighting for their rights. We encourage journalists to be careful in reporting the action and to not implicate student activists with political instigators.

Despite this provocation the campaign against the degradation of Education will continue. Students remain united in their demands.

The same day protests were held with similar claims in the Khmelnitsky, and Kharkiv. Performance was held in Donetsk, and Simferopol students organized a press conference.

The previous protest against Education commercialization had been held on January 31st 2011.

Report in Ukrainian (incl. pictures): direct-action.org.ua