The Center for Society Research stated that during 2012, more than one third of leftist protests invoked negative reactions, more than half of which can be classified as violent or confrontational attacks from the right wing. While expanding protest activity, the right wing attempts to suppress their competitors. “The far right is the most active political force in Ukraine at this moment. Almost 20 percent of all Ukrainian protest events fixed by our systematic monitoring in 2012 took place with reported participation of various radical right organizations, among them most predominantly, the Svoboda Party. In at least 11 cases, these were violent and confrontational attacks on the new left initiatives,” said Volodymyr Ischchenko, the head of the Social Protests Research Department of the Center for Society Research.
The latest attack took place August 22 when one of the members of student union “Direct Action” was violently beaten near his house. He was attacked by two suspected Svoboda members who were waiting for him with their faces covered. The attackers were shouting “shavka” (right wing slang word to denote leftists) as they ran at him. After using pepper spray they started to beat him. Those attacked fainted, so the passerby called the ambulance. A criminal case has been opened; the case is being pursued by Social Action Centre “No Borders”.
This is not the first time a situation like this takes place. 8 June 2013 journalist Georgiy Erman was surrounded by several nationalists who threatened to beat him if he refused to shout nationalist slogan on camera.“I was blamed for being anti Ukrainian and a Stalinist. They told me to shout “Glory to Bandera!” and “Communism is shit!”. I am sure that the attackers were right wing nationalists,” said Georgiy.
On 15 April 2013 a trade union activist, Vlad N, was beaten and wounded with a knife near Dorogozhychi metro station. On the same day Vlad’s trade union made a statement about the incident, saying that their activist “was attacked by 5 neo-Nazis. Using the knives, they injured an artery on his leg. Our comrade had teeth knocked out and brain concussion”.
On 20 April 2012, a journalist and a member of “Direct Action”, Andriy Movchan, was attacked by six people who were armed with brass knuckles. “I was attacked in the city center by four neo-Nazis. I was going to a meeting. When I entered an underpass, I heard the footsteps. I turned back and saw six football hooligans running towards me. They jumped onto me and started to beat me. When they run away, I saw a stream of blood running from my head. I recognized one of the attackers. It was one of Svoboda’s activists,” said Movchan to journalists.
On 8 December 2012, participants of a rally for LGBT rights were attacked with teargas. It was noticed by rally participants and media that the attackers, had the press cards of the Svoboda party newspaper, released tear gas. On the same day a couple of rally participants were beaten. After this incident, Human Rights Watch warned “Svoboda party members tried to hamper the demonstration”. “Svoboda should obey Ukrainian laws and international agreements. Svoboda can’t send their members to shout homophobic slogans and attack peaceful demonstrations,” – added Rachel Denber, Deputy Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division, Human Rights Watch.
Svoboda activists also tried to hamper other LGBT rights events such as the organization of a gay pride festival on 25 May 2013. Svoboda noted in a press release published on their official website: “because of many of Svoboda’s members going out to the streets in order to stop the perverts’ coven, the event was cancelled.”
On 1 December 2012 four people were attacked before a presentation organized by leftist intellectual Commons: Journal for Social Criticism. The journal’s editorial board published an official statement on their website that one hour before the presentation, stating that the organizers were attacked by ten neo-Nazis, who used pepper spray and beat the organizers. It is known that one of instigators of the attack was a member of Svoboda, Ihor Kostuk, who had previously threatened the organizers days before this presentation.
These cases are among the few documented in media lb.ua, gazeta.ua, euronews, tvi. A series of other attacks documented by student union “Direct Action” have not received media attention. The police have not moved to investigate these cases.
Independent Student Union “Direct Action”