Violent dispersal of “Maidan” on November 30, 2013: How Peaceful protest turned into Revolution of dignity in a single night

Espreso TV reporter tells the story of the day that powerfully impacted modern history of Ukraine.

Since the evening of November 29, police and Berkut squads (former special police force of Ukraine) have been encircling thousands of protesters. The first victim was Reuters photographer Hlib Haranych, injured by the police. 

On the night of November 29, a small group of peaceful protesters, most of whom were students, remained on the Maidan. The youth sang songs, warmed themselves by the fire and stayed to defend their rights, singing the national anthem of Ukraine every hour, as to what became a tradition during the protests.

And at 4 a.m., the peaceful rally was surrounded by police squads who began their "cleansing", using tear gas and rubber batons on unarmed people, beating everyone indiscriminately. The protesters were basically thrown out of a corridor formed by the police, who continued beating both men and women. 

When all the activists were outside the Maidan, Berkut servicemen did not cease their operations. Protesters, including a priest, were singing the National anthem and praying, while the security forces, growling and cursing, began to chase them down Khreshchatyk, beating them with batons whenever they could, throwing them to the ground.

Some of the protesters were then able to hide in St. Michael's Cathedral, and the security forces continued to wait for them at the entrance. Others dispersed through the side streets of Khreschatyk, hiding in entrances and establishments that were working. Police was looking for them, rummaging through the same yards, looking for everyone who was wearing Ukrainian symbols, the symbols of the Maidan.

Dozens of demonstrators were detained, including journalists. Some people went missing. A huge number of young people received injuries of varying degrees of severity.

However, those illegal actions of the police did not stop the Maidan protesters, but on the contrary, they started a new wave of protests which turned into the Revolution of Dignity.  Those who were so brutally dispersed did not remain silent, did not stop. That same night, information about the beatings spread to all corners of Ukraine. Foreign publications also began to report it, so the information immediately reached Europe.

By evening, more than 50,000 Ukrainians had gathered near St. Michael's Cathedral, who simply could not forgive and let the beatings of unarmed youth go unpunished. People were gathering from all regions of Ukraine, responding to the call of those who met face to face with lawlessness the previous night. And on December 1, the second All-Ukrainian Day of the Revolution of Dignity began in Kyiv, uniting about a million people.