Our Edsa and Ukraine’s independence square

A few days ago, we celebrated the 28th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, the world’s first peaceful upheaval. The EDSA Revolution sparked the ouster of strongman Ferdinand Marcos. Armed only with an abiding faith in the Almighty, millions of Filipinos waged a heroic struggle against all odds to bring about a peaceful change in leadership. The four-day (February 22 to 25, 1986) served as the template for other freedom-loving peoples all over the world to remove oppressive authoritarian regimes.

Several years later, the Berlin wall, a symbol of oppression, was tore down by both West and East Germans to trigger the union of democratic (West) and communist (East) Germany into one Federal Republic of Germany.

Soon enough, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) broke up into a number of many sovereign states with Ukraine leading the way. Within a few years, the rest of communist Eastern Europe empowered itself, a la EDSA, to become independent, democratic and market-oriented states.

Remembering EDSA is timely as we observe the events in Ukraine unfold: from a peaceful expression of dissent in Kiev’s Independence Square to a violent dispersal of freedom-loving citizens opposed to President Viktor Yanukovych. A majority of Ukrainians had opted to join the European Union (EU) by having Yanukovych sign the association agreement with the former thus completely cutting the umbilical cord of Ukraine to Russia. In complete disregard of the wishes of the governed, the governor, Yanukovych, spurned a deal with the EU to keep afloat Ukraine’s troubled economy and instead turned to (many say, was pressured by Russian president Vladimir Putin) Russia for a US$15 billion loan bailout.

The three-month peaceful protests turned violent when protesters and police clashed after the latter attacked the protesters’ camp in Independence Square. Protesters had ignited fires crying, “Glory to Ukraine!” The opposition had vented its ire on parliament, which the opposition pointed out is dominated by Yanukovych’s lackeys unwilling to undertake constitutional changes that would limit presidential powers. Except for the violence that has claimed dozens of lives (some reports state more than 70) and left hundreds injured, the Ukrainian scenario bears resemblance to EDSA: an unwanted repressive and regime clinging on to power. 

At the head of the Ukrainian opposition is former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. A few days ago, Klitschko, who holds a PhD in physical education was reported by  Zahman Bradley of ABC News to have rallied his fellow protesters from a stage in the square as tents and tires burned around him, releasing huge plumes of smoke: “We will not go anywhere from here. This is an island of freedom, and we will defend it.”

In Sochi, in the middle of the controversial winter Olympics, pole vault icon and head of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, Sergei Bubka, urged both sides to lay down their weapons and halt the violence that is bringing the country to the “brink of catastrophe”.

Bubka, a top official of the IAAF, the international governing body of athletics, became a friend of   Philippine sports, especially athletics, when he visited the country in January and offered free training of Filipino pole vaulters in Italy. He also invited Philippine track and field officials to his hometown, Donetsk, to attend the annual Sergey Bubka pole vault tournament to coincide with his birthday on February 15.

In a statement given to ABC News, in Siochi, Bubka said, “I’m shocked by what is happening in my native country – especially because the violence is taking place during the Olympic Games, the world’s most peaceful and democratic event. ..There is not ‘their’ Ukraine, or ‘your’ Ukraine. It is our Ukraine. Let’s do everything possible to get back to negotiations and make a compromise…There is still a chance for a peaceful solution.”

As expected, the winter Olympics was used as a venue to make several political statements. Even before it started, President Barack Obama chose lesbians and gays to head the US delegation to the winter Games and even criticized Russia’s anti-gay policies. It was no surprise therefore that the Ukrainian Olympic Committee requested that its athletes be allowed to wear black armbands as an “expression of sorrow and sympathy” to honor those who have died during the protests, according to ABC. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) denied the request although IOC president Thomas Bach expressed his condolences to the victims of the violence.

As we write this column, Yanukovych  has abandoned Kiev and is nowhere to be found. He has however stated that he is the “legitimate President”. In the meantime, Ms Yulya Tymoshenko, former Prime Minister and key opposition leader, has been freed from jail by parliament. The speaker of parliament is now acting President. Elections are scheduled in May. Yanukovych’s Cabinet has resigned.

Events are moving fast and what Putin will do right after his main project, the controversial Siochi Games, are over, bears watching. There’s no way the Russian leader will allow Ukraine (considered, in private by high level Russian officials, a Russian “province”) to get out of Russia’s headlock.

Whatever happens, and we hope Ukraine follows, like EDSA, the way of democracy, tolerance for diversity and respect for human rights. And if it does, some credit should go to several Ukrainian international sports figures.