“Ukraine without Kuchma" gives in. Is it for Communists to celebrate?

As Pravda.ru has already reported that this week has seen a turning point in the standoff between the pro-President forces and the opposition. The authorities made sure that the protesters were wasting away, and they decided it was time to crush them. First of all, tents on the Kreshchatik, the main street of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, were smashed. Scores of demonstrators suffered head and back injuries as police lashed out with batons, defending themselves against attack from bottles, stones and heavy wooden sticks. Several officers were hit by a petrol bomb. The incident did not cause much reaction in society. Police later arrested around 100 members of the radical rightwing UNA-UNSO party, accusing them of taking part in the violence. It looks like the authorities have started to settle accounts with all who supported the protests - a wide spectrum of political parties and public associations, including those thought of as a “foothold of the power”. Only Communists stood aloof during the protests and are very likely to be rewarded.