I've been down to Maidan to see the anti-government activists and how they are living a few times. I'm not a protester myself, though I sympathize with their frustrations. Things are calm at the moment, but with the barricades, it looks similar to a military zone with tents, fires everywhere and some very serious barricades in every direction. You can click on any picture below to see a larger version.
As we were coming back onto Maidan from Hrushevskoho Street, I saw activists stopping a man who was clearly drunk from entering Maidan. They have a strict no alcohol policy which was interesting for me to see first hand.
One of the things that is most striking as you walk around is the fact that the activists want the world to see what they are doing and how they are doing it. Protestors had taken over a few of the government buildings near the center and we walked closer to see them, and saw that crowds were going inside. We followed and saw the food and clothing distribution centers, as well as the library they had set up for long term protestors. It was all very open for anyone, skeptics and sympathizers alike, to come in and see and hear what the protests were about. To get into the pro-government camp is a much more difficult task.
Some of our Christian friends go to Maidan to give out hot tea some food and medicine to help people in the cold Ukrainian winter. They have tried to extend the same kindness to the police forces, but were turned away.
The first time I went to see the stand-off between protestors and police (seen above), a man was interviewing people standing on the barricade. "What is love?" he asked them. When he asked me, I just looked around and said, "That's a very important question. Especially here. Especially now."
Please keep praying for Ukraine.
As we were coming back onto Maidan from Hrushevskoho Street, I saw activists stopping a man who was clearly drunk from entering Maidan. They have a strict no alcohol policy which was interesting for me to see first hand.
One of the things that is most striking as you walk around is the fact that the activists want the world to see what they are doing and how they are doing it. Protestors had taken over a few of the government buildings near the center and we walked closer to see them, and saw that crowds were going inside. We followed and saw the food and clothing distribution centers, as well as the library they had set up for long term protestors. It was all very open for anyone, skeptics and sympathizers alike, to come in and see and hear what the protests were about. To get into the pro-government camp is a much more difficult task.
Some of our Christian friends go to Maidan to give out hot tea some food and medicine to help people in the cold Ukrainian winter. They have tried to extend the same kindness to the police forces, but were turned away.
The first time I went to see the stand-off between protestors and police (seen above), a man was interviewing people standing on the barricade. "What is love?" he asked them. When he asked me, I just looked around and said, "That's a very important question. Especially here. Especially now."
Please keep praying for Ukraine.
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