More Cardboard Signs Than People: How the Second Day of the Protest in Support of Fedorov Unfolded (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
The protest against the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, which began on Thursday at Franko Square near the Office of the President in Kyiv, continued on Friday. Admittedly, while the square was packed with people yesterday, today’s rally was attended mainly by the most dedicated protesters. But as the evening approached, the number of protesters increased, which had no effect on the atmosphere of the protest: the rally proceeded peacefully.
About a hundred young people and retirees—in other words, everyone who wasn’t in a hurry to get anywhere that morning—spent the whole day chanting slogans led by the female moderator, Maria, who had settled into the shade. Among them were the classic chants “Down with the Gang” and “Putin, you f***er.” From time to time, the organizer searched Google for patriotic songs for everyone to sing along to.
Foreign media created a distinct atmosphere. For example, a journalist from the Polish TV channel TVP1, looking very concerned, spoke on camera about a “massive protest in Ukraine,” while behind him, a few dozen activists were slowly chanting slogans, and some were seeking shade to escape the heat.
The small square was littered with cardboard signs. The number of abandoned signs far exceeded the number of people. The signs were literally everywhere: on the lawns, on monuments, and on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, the protesters were increasingly resting on benches or in the shade of trees, as if they simply intended to wait for the workday to end.
The organizer warned those present, just in case, that they would likely gather again tomorrow as well. By the way, while on Thursday the protesters demanded that Fedorov be reinstated as defense minister, today all attention was focused on Syrskyi. They demanded the resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. What will they be chanting about tomorrow? We’ll see.
By the way, for those who’d like to join the rally but haven’t prepared or haven’t decided on a slogan—don’t worry. There’s a box here with slogans for every taste. Just pick one.
As a reminder, calls to join the protest began spreading actively on social media on Wednesday evening. By Thursday morning, about two thousand people had gathered at Franko Square, but by evening, fewer than four hundred remained.
