Posters and stickers from election campaigns of the previous years can still be seen on the walls all over the city, but an anonimous banner drawing attention to the problems people face during Eurovision preparations didn’t even last a day. That’s how much time and attention our authorities are ready to spend on problems articulated by the independent activists.

National Joint Stock company “Naftohaz of Ukraine” is planning to install decorative and protective banner on unfinished building façade and building constructions on Sheptytskogo str. 2 in Kyiv (Livoberezhna metro station) with total amount of 4 994 000 UAH. Why not 5 000 000? We suppose, that this question bothers you as much as it bothers us! Let’s spend more money on banners!

Source

4 days until Eurovision

After the racist incident with Azov battalion members in Mariupol was widely covered by the media, the national police has decided to really get to work. Instead of openly condemning this violent racist attack, they have organized a meeting and sat the “sides of the conflict” at the negotiating table. In their report they describe an attack where people were escaping from racists with batons as a “verbal conflict” and a “misunderstanding”. The post contains a lot of personal information about the victim, and not a word about the racists who attacked him and his friends. The police regards this as an isolated event. The victim was given a phone number of Donetsk regional police chief. It will certainly provide strong protection from racism for everyone.
Solidarization with racists is quite a common practice among Ukrainian authorities and the police. After a pogrom against the Roma in Odessa region in August 2016, local authorities and the police have given a press conference for “enraged” white residents who have in fact started the pogrom. They were promised that the authorities will organize a koridor for the Roma to leave the village, thus completing the pogrom.

9 days until Eurovision

Kyiv city authorities announced restriction on the movement of road transport and … pedestrians. The list of streets, where the movement of traffic and pedestrians for whatever reason was limited, is quite impressive. And the meaning of the phrase „From 24:00 on 24th of April to 24:00 on 18th of May the movement of pedestrians on Khreshchatyk street (from Bohdan Khmelnytsky street to Prorizna street, on the bottom part of the pavement on the odd side of the Khreshchatyk street) will be prohibited” we still have not been able to decipher. Accessibility?
For two weeks from 30th of April to 14th of May the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on two major streets in both directions will be limited. Also on the 6th and 7th of May a large number of streets will be blocked temporarily for transport and pedestrians. All in all, the number of restrictions on movement of vehicles and pedestrians around the city is astounding. This reorganisation of the city does not contribute to comfort of its residents, but means specific obstacles and prohibitions brought on by Eurovision. Thousands of people – and many of them cannot afford or do not want to buy tickets to the event – are forced to change their everyday lives. For undisturbed operation of the competition restrictions and prohibitions are carried out with even
stronger militarisation of the city than before. What else could one do, to make those 10000 policemen occupied?
City government expenditures covering large-scale changes of the city infrastructure on eve of Eurovision are bewildering against the backdrop of the permanent inaction towards the city inhabitants. For some reason the situation with non-inclusive and discriminatory nature of streets, passages and public transport remains unchanged for years. Kyiv underground stations remain inaccessible to elderly, people using wheelchairs and prams. Bicycle infrastructure is virtually absent in the city. Obviously, instilling short-term superficial impression of Kyiv as modern and sophisticated city among European public is deemed to be more important than inclusivity and comfort of the city for its residents.

11 days until Eurovision

Guess what the mayor requests urgently to pay attention on (careful! response at the end of the text)? Quote:
„I appealed to the Cabinet, to Prime Minister. This problem must be solved. We have not much time left“ – said Vitaly Klitschko.
Any ideas?
Indeed, the mayor asks to hide an unfinished construction with a banner near the area where Eurovision will take place.
Indeed, this is a real question that could be interesting for the Cabinet in the situation in which Ukraine is.

Source

12 days until Eurovision

Head of the Security Coordination during Eurovision Bohdan Lyzogub told that around 10 thousand policemen and national guard officers will be involved to ensure the security during the international contest. All the 13 Eurovision locations will be enhancely patrolled by the police and equipped with video surveillance cameras.
A quote: “115 video cameras will be installed at the main location – the International Exhibition Centre. The cameras will be installed outside as well as inside the building. 7 thousand video cameras will be installed around the city in total.” “We will ensure enhanced police patrolling, especially in the city center and at all the locations, including departure and housing locations of the citizens. The security will be enhanced in public transportation, with police information desks operating.”

But we should mention that only white middle-class men and women will feel safe. Others remember interactions with the police very well – they don’t inspire any feeling of safety.
To increase the security level, a police training in Kyiv metro was organized last night. It must have been aimed at teaching them the best ways to tell violence victims off filing their police reports – like it happened on April, 23 in Mariupol. Azov battalion fighters threatened a group of black guys at a football field. A quote:
“If all of them (black guys) won’t leave immediately, they won’t leave at all.”
Foreign student Magomet confirmed that he and his friends had a conflict with people in military clothes. Magomet tried to file a police report, but was refused his right at the police station.
“The police didn’t want me to write a report” – Magomet said.
10 000 cops wil be ready to serve white people very soon.

Sources:

Three white cisgender men were chosen as hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest with the slogan  „Celebrate diversity!“  But Ukrainian media work tirelessly to remedy this lack of diversity. One of leading Ukrainian  news channels released material with the following title: „Three hosts of “Eurovision-2017” are often asked „Which one is gay „. Here are few quotes from the material:

“Oleksandr (one of Eurovision hosts) said that hosts sometimes become objects of jokes, given the fact that the majority of the audience of competition are people with non-traditional sexual orientation.“

„This is one of the most popular questions: “Which one of you is gay?“ But since me and Vova are all set – we have families –  mostly these questions relate to Timur (Miroshnychenko), who is unmarried,“ – Skichko told us.”

We know that in past Timur Miroshnichenko provided homophobic commentary to Eurovision contests on national television channel. And while our media and TV presenters distinguish „traditional“ and „non-traditional“ orientation, they remain perfect in timeless homophobia. Diversity of this homophobia can be seen in all spheres of Ukrainian public life. Thus, homophobic politicians with the support of the homophobic council of churches block passing of anti-discrimination legislation and removed from the texts of laws terms „gender“ and „sexual orientation“ as „unacceptable to the Ukrainian society and the Church.“ Police ignores growing homophobic far-right violence, and media persons and media invent tabloid „scandals“ and look for „neutral“ position between the discriminated groups and those who commit violence against them, believing that the truth is somewhere in between.