INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

Case Study 1 Week 2 28 Jan

What is going on?

Protests began in November

Mass protests (24 Jan)

What is going on?

The protest is spreading to other major cities (27 Jan)

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-protesters-storm-

government-offices-as-protests-against-president-viktoryanukovych-intensify/

Why?
President Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign a political

and economic association pact with the EU after pressure from Russia A peaceful student protest was violently dispersed by special police force The corrupted government and presidents family business A new anti-protest legislation passed , less freedom

New laws
-Participating in "mass disruptions" will incur 10-15 years

imprisonment -You can be convicted by a court in absentia -MPs can be arrested during sessions of parliament -It is forbidden to drive a car in a column larger than five vehicles long. -It is illegal to set up an unauthorised sound system -You will be jailed for 15 days if you put up a tent -Distributing "extremist opinion" will attract a three-year jail term -Group violation of public orders will land you in the cooler for two years -The government can disable the internet at will

Civil Disobedience
Several activists died in the clashes.

Activists start occupying government buildings, including

Justice Ministry building in Kiev.

Civil Disobedience
Civil Disobedience
Protesters throw molotov cocktails at police during clashes in the centre of Kiev on January 22,

2014. Source: AFP

Violent and non-violent

Protestors built DIY medieval catabult

http://www.news.com.au/world/what-you-need-to-know-

about-the-protests-in-kiev-ukraine/story-fndir2ev1226808390931#ooid=Q4cTBhazqdZoaiW1smn6Azv7nuQ2v1c The drivers just take their cars and block SWAT buses or whole police buildings to prevent the possible illegal actions against peaceful people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsyNguPAuQg

Key figures
President Viktor Yanukovych

During the presidential elections in 2010, according to the

testimony of international observers, Viktor Yanukovych legitimately beat his main opponent the world-famous woman and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Key figures
Yulia Tymoshenko (opposition) (in prison)

Jailed former Prime Minister 2004 Orange Revolution Sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of

power.

Key figures
Vitali Klitschko (opposition) (probably in the Independence

square now)

The former world heavyweight boxing champion Mr Klitschko, who plans to run in the 2015 presidential

elections, has stressed that the only way to end the unrest is for Mr Yanukovych to resign.

Question
President Viktor Yanukovych was elected in 2010

presidential elections. People voted him. Is this a kind of consent given to the government and so is political obligation justified? ( We might refer to the transactional accounts of political obligation in Political Obligation and Authority, A. John Simmons p.34)

References
http://www.businessinsider.com/understanding-euromaidan

2014-1 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/01/ 24/this-is-the-one-map-you-need-to-understand-ukraines-crisis/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25905031 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25914786 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25910834 http://www.news.com.au/world/what-you-need-to-know-aboutthe-protests-in-kiev-ukraine/story-fndir2ev-1226808390931 http://www.news.com.au/world/ukraine-introduces-draconiannew-laws-and-begins-monitoring-messaging-protesters-mobilephones/story-fndir2ev-1226808357575