Fires burn bright in Kiev as spirits undaunted by terror: Maria Korenyuk reports

2014-02-20 4

“As we head into Wednesday night it is clear there are many more people here than the first night, Tuesday.

This can be explained by the fact that it takes time to get to Kyiv from the many regions, with often difficult journeys involved.

People arriving on buses on the outskirts of the capital say they were ordered out of their vehicles by security forces, several hours walk from the centre.

But they do not come empty-handed. The flow of tyres to keep the Maidan bonfire alive continues; no empty vandalism, but strategy Geronimo would have recognised, laying down a smokescreen.

Those who are not directly taking part in the confrontation are lending a hand as best they can. Women are here, the elderly are here, and if there is nothing else you can do, you can at least break stones for ammunition at the front line to fight back the police.

In general, all I have heard from people is the more they are attacked and the worse they are beaten, the more determined they are to stand back up and resume the struggle.

Today there is only one condition on which they will agree to leave central Kyiv. And that is the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych.”

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