Ukrainian activist: Going out once is not enough to be called struggle

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Euroradio: Why don’t you celebrate the anniversary of the revolution nowadays?

Pavel Zybyuk: In my opinion, my friends and I have done nothing to stop the authoritarianism and help develop democracy this year. Our society calmed down after the revolution and stayed like that. People should struggle to promote development; the society should not fall asleep and should keep working to expand the freedom space. But we won and calmed down, everyone was busy solving their personal problems. As a result, we gather every year to recall how cool it was when there were a lot of us standing together. And that’s it. We do nothing and we simply watch the situation change. Changes have been added to the Election Code and nobody has expressed a protest.

Euroradio: What are the changes?

Pavel Zybyuk: Basically, the mixed system has been reintroduced: half of the Parliament gathers according to party lists and the other half is elected according to the majority election system in constituencies. It will mean that the governmental Party of the Regions will increase. I am indignant at the fact that nobody protested, the society was very inert.

Euroradio: However, you can come to the square not only to celebrate but to struggle. Why didn’t Ukrainians use the opportunity?

Pavel Zybyuk: There is an action in the square now, some deputies have joined it regardless of the interdiction. They are meeting their electors now. People have gathered near the detention centre where Yuliya Timoshenko is jailed. Activists of “Fatherland” are among them. However, going out once cannot be called struggle. You have to work with people and create civil structures. Why did the revolution win in 2004? It happened not only because journalists, writers and progressive students joined the protest. The masses joined it, the people finally noticed light at the end of the tunnel. Villagers, workers and jitney drivers joined it. The people protest only when their interests are affected now. Those who speak a lot about democracy should find a way to reach ordinary Ukrainians and engage them to join the struggle. I have not done anything this year and the Freedom Day is not my holiday. I have betrayed my ideas in some way.

Euroradio: If you are doing little today, what are you going to do tomorrow?

Pavel Zybyuk: People are mostly disappointed and they say that the government is strong and that we can do nothing. The majority describes their problems with apathy. The people celebrate this day once a year and then fall asleep again. I will take part in all protest actions and I will try to publish newspapers and distribute them on local trains and work on the Internet. There are a lot of ideas but we do not know whether they can result in something good.