Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Im Osten etwas neues

The defiance of Viktor Yushchenko and his supporters of the regime looks like something new. People power comes to the Ukraine. Vladimir Putin will not be pleased.

200,000 people in the centre of Kiev witness Yushchenko's "swearing in", and Yushchenko calls on the police and army to join the opposition.

Hope in the world. 1956, 1968, 1989...

On my way this afternoon (4pm), I stopped by the Ukrainian embassy in London to see if there was any kind of vigil or demonstration going on.

Nothing. Through the heavily barred window of the embassy I had a clear view of a dozen or so smooth men sitting at a lush, well lit table. It looked like business as usual. All smiles. But who knows what they were really talking about?

But there was nobody on the street. Only an official from the Algerian embassy opposite who passed by and gave me a cold, hard, chilling look.

Now, of all times, who in this country cares about democracy and justice in one of the largest countries of our common European home?

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