Rally as a warning
Football fans prove that Ukrainians are ready to self-organize in order to defend their rights and freedoms
Most of Ukrainians do not trust the judiciary system, calling it unfair and corrupted. Proof of this is numerous studies of sociologists, in particular, according to the FAIR project “Fair State” (USAID) last year 67.4 percent of surveyed Ukrainians stated that they didn’t trust the courts. Not counting upon fair court rulings in conflict situations, people are forced to defend their rights according to the principle “defend yourself on your own.” Especially acutely the weakness of our judiciary system is felt when we speak about the encroachment on private property of an individual. The state apparatus in Ukraine is not ready to protect the property of ordinary Ukrainians if it stands in the way of the state interests or big business. On the whole, the notion “private property” was rooted out from Ukrainians’ minds in the time of the USSR. We have long ago forgotten that our own house should be our fortress. Today nobody in our country can be sure that s/he won’t be turned out of his/her apartment. And in our realities quite legal grounds will be found for this.
A demonstrative example of this is the case of the Pavlychenkos, who were forcedly turned out from their apartment by a court decision. This story stirred wide public response after in March last year the judge of the Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv Serhii Zubkov, who had ruled the decision on turning out the family, was cruelly killed, and Dmytro Pavlychenko and his son Serhii were convicted of murder.
An example of how one should self-organize in Ukraine to defend his/her rights and freedoms was a several-thousand peaceful rally, organized in Kyiv by the fans of the capital’s FC Dynamo in support of the Pavlychenkos. The fans called upon all Ukrainians not only to defend their friend (Pavlychenko Jr. is the club’s fan), but also demand from the country’s leadership to organize a fair judiciary system. It was a surprise to know that namely the representatives of ultras, known for their radical deeds, racist and neo-Nazi slogans, numerous clashes with their opponents and law-enforcement officials, started to voice the problems of Ukrainian judiciary branch. This is a signal for politicians. Besides, it is an increase of the social temperature. Both power and the opposition should learn lessons from the peaceful action of radical youth. The main lesson should be the unstudied channel of the river of social discontent of Ukrainians that flows in the direction politicians fail to understand. The meeting has shown that the society is in need for changes that remain unvoiced by either representatives of the power, or members of the opposition, and no new ideas or fresh words are found in this respect – fair court procedure and real right for private property.
The participants of the meeting, who gathered in the capital’s Shevchenko Park, set out to the Lukianivka Prison, where the convicted Pavlychenkos are being kept. During the action the people were shouting the slogans “Pavlychenkos today, you tomorrow!”, “Freedom to honest people!”, “Stop unlawful activity of the militia”! The football fans were immediately joined by the capital’s youth. The demonstrators’ main demand is to conduct a fairly investigation in the Pavlychenkos case. However, the spirit of the action called for establishing of a civilized system of legal proceedings in the country.
“Ukraine can be proud of its football fans, unlike the law-enforcement officials. They organized themselves for defending their rights and freedoms and showed how one should act in extraordinary situations. Ukrainians are no more part of the USSR where they were taught to think that one only had to file a complaint and the guilty persons would be punished. It is not so anymore. The fans have long ago ceased to believe in this ‘law fairy-tale,’ because they have many times faced the cruelty of courts and hard-heartedness of judges. The fans demand only a new open consideration of the case. For if the Pavlychenkos are not guilty, the real perpetrator is at large and potentially dangerous,” participant of the protest meeting, journalist Yehor SOBOLIEV said, “The active part of the society has wakened up, it is ready to defend its rights. And this is a signal for the politicians.”
A demonstrative example of how one should protect his/her private property is a recent incident that has happened in China, in Zhejiang. When the local power decided to construct a highway, it destroyed a whole residential neighborhood and resettled its inhabitants. However, one man, an owner of a five-storey building Lu Baogen categorically refused to move out. The owner of the house that stood in the way of the state-run construction was not put to jail, neither was his property demolished. Having failed to come to an agreement with Lu Baogen, the authorities made changes in course of the road (in the photo).
Whereas in civilized countries private property is like a holy cow, in Ukraine people are ready to kill judges (according to the investigation in the Pavlychenkos case) to protect their belongings.
The Pavlychenkos case has become internationally known. The fans of football clubs in Greece, Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Russia as well as tens of other countries followed the example of the Kyivites, hanging during control matches on the stadiums the banners with the slogan “Freedom to Pavlychenkos.” They also stood for several minutes their backs turned to the football field and their hands behind their heads like those of detained persons. The journalists of numerous international agencies are writing about lawlessness in our country and that under current circumstances there is no reason to make investments in our country.
