Ukrainian President Ousted

More than seventy people have been killed but the President of the Ukraine has been removed. That’s doesn’t seem very equitable and it is just another beginning in a series of political crises gripping a nation caught between the European Union and a Russia intent on re-establishing some elements of the vanquished Soviet Union.

James Pilant

Ukrainian parliament votes President Yanukovich out | Al Jazeera America

The Ukrainian parliament voted Saturday to dismiss embattled President Viktor Yanukovich and hold new elections on May 25.

The vote came hours after anti-government protesters seized Yanukovich’s office in the capital city of Kiev. He had insisted earlier in the day that he would not step down, even as his grip on power appeared to be rapidly crumbling. The latest developments followed two days of violence that turned central Kiev into a battle zone and left at least 77 people dead.

The military said it would not get involved in trying to stamp out the uprising, after protesters entered Yanukovich’s office compound in the capital.

The president’s residence outside the capital also appeared to have been abandoned. Local media said protesters had entered the sprawling grounds, but it was unclear whether they were inside the main building. Interfax, a Russian news agency, said some security guards were present.

Thousands of protesters on Kiev’s Independence Square celebrated just after the parliamentary vote was announced on Saturday. The protesters had been skeptical of a European Union-brokered accord under which the embattled leader agreed to give up powers, hold early elections by the end of the year and form a government of national unity.

via Ukrainian parliament votes President Yanukovich out | Al Jazeera America.

From around the web.

From the web site, Euromaidan PR.

http://euromaidanpr.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/dear-europeans/

Following the protests in the EU, I came to the conclusion that almost all of your protests were provoked by the same issue. Money. Europeans have always lack money. For money, they go to the streets; for money, they beat cars; and even a general expression of quiet dissatisfaction is also about money, and things connected with it. Apparently, it is now the main ‘European’ value.

And while people are dying in Ukraine, fighting against injustice itself, fighting for their simple dignity, in Europe dignity has been already forgotten. Not because Europeans don’t have it; they just don’t need it. They don’t use it. Dignity is gone.

So, dear European politicians, why do you think you have the right to teach us something? Thanks to the horror in Ukraine, we finally see what you’re worth.

Different people standing now on Maidan–the intelligentsia, small and medium businesses, the remnants of the Ukrainian middle class, students and villagers–who are impressing me the most. Young and old villagers–they die fighting for what? For justice and freedom. In the 21st century in the middle of Europe. For fucking justice and freedom. And it does not matter anymore who started all this, who is right and who is wrong and whether there is any sense in all what is going on. The Monster uses tanks against people, his troops are shooting girls with Kalashnikov rifles, and those villagers who were never interested in politics, they arrived in a strange city with their pitchforks and shovels to die here for some sort of ephemeral dignity and some theoretical freedom that Europe has long since forgotten. Tell me, are your European burghers able to do something like this?

We are expecting your sanctions for our monsters, but you do not want to do it. After all, your economy is in trouble, and the money of our oligarchs helps you not to die. And you, dear European politicians, you do not care that this money was stolen from Ukrainians, from me personally, as well.