A Prayer Vigil for peace and positive change in Ukraine was be held on Wednesday, December 4th 2013 at Martin Place in Sydney’s CBD. A keynote speech was delivered by Jerry Duma who was present in Kyiv, Ukraine at the start of the protest movement.
Speech by Jaroslav Duma OAM – delivered at Prayer Vigil, Martin Place, Sydney NSW on Wednesday, 4 December, 2013 in support of the protesters at EuroMajdan in Kyiv
Slava Isusu Xrystu! Slava Ukraini!
I was lucky to participate with over 100,000 people peacefully protesting on 1 December… – And what an honour it was to have our very own NSW parliamentarian and believer in truth and fairness to all, in Marie Ficarra MLC, witness the people powered peaceful rallies right outside her hotel in the centre of Kyiv during her stay to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Holodomor – the genocide of some 7 – 10 million Ukrainians by Stalin’s regime…
These Protests which commenced on Thursday 21 December – have now been going on for 2 weeks…
Shamefully however, at 4.30am Kyiv time, last Saturday – hundreds of government Berkut/Specialised Riot Squad militia forces brutally and unforgivingly attacked a mere 400 students left peacefully protesting throughout the night on Majdan (Freedom Square)… They beat dozens of young students senseless…
The reports I have now watched with total disbelief, as young men and women, young students, pregnant women and the elderly, journalists from around the world, many already battered and bloodied and lying on the ground moaning from their beatings, only to be attacked again and again by these government thugs – at times some 4 or 5 at a time – belting them with their batons, mercilessly kicking them in the spine and the head, stomping and jumping on them under the full protection of the pro-Kremlin led government, a government lead by the President – Victor Yanukovych, who whilst he may be the President of Ukraine is far from being a Ukrainian President….
On Sunday, this brutal and inhumane use of force provoked hundreds of thousands to take to the streets, with some reports estimating some 750,000 people onto the streets of Kyiv alone and more than double that number throughout the East, West, North & Southern Ukraine to protest at these brutal actions by a totalitarian regime…
And as of this morning, Sydney time, the authorities have incarcerated 9 people for a period of at least 2 months whilst they investigate their so-called crime of participating in these peaceful rallies… These are 9 young men, whom they also bashed and battered on that faithful Saturday morning, – that day now known as bloody Saturday…
I’d like to call on our Australian government, on our friends in the NSW parliament, and on Amnesty International to take up the cause of these 9 innocent victims – and insist that his Ukrainian anti-people regime set these innocent young people free…
This current Ukrainian government is not a civilised government…
This is an uncaring, undemocratic, inhumane and unchristian regime that cares not for its people… that cares only in personal gain through continued corruption… that pretends to have faith… that pretends to believe in humanity…
And again, last night, Prime Minister Azarov, having survived a motion of no-confidence & a call for his dismissal, having survived purely along party lines and with the help of the communists in parliament, – he continues to intimidate the people with threats to ensure that “those responsible”, those innocent peaceful protesters – will be severely dealt with…
I again say – this current government in Ukraine is not a civilised government… It is not a government of the people for the people… It cares only to continue its corrupt practises and maintain power for itself…
Whilst the power of the people peacefully protesting continues to be the focus of the continued might of a nation like Ukraine… – we should take the time to pray – and what better prayer than that of the prayer to St Francis, a prayer known throughout the world for its humility and for its love of all mankind… A prayer that is symbolic of togetherness, understanding and mutual belief… We come together here in far-away Sydney, we stand together with our brothers and sisters in the land of our heritage… We pray for civility and for humility and for humanity to prevail…. Mutually with our brothers & sisters in Ukraine we believe that it will…
THE PRAYER OF ST FRANCIS…
LORD Make me an instrument of thy peace Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is injury, pardon Where there is doubt, faith Where there is despair, hope Where there is darkness, light And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console To be understood as to understand To be loved as to love For it is in giving, that we receive It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned And it is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.
I’d like to conclude my few words today with a message received direct from Majdan (Freedom Square) in Kyiv earlier this morning – …
A message from the Chairman of the AFUO – Mr Stefan Romaniw, who is still in Kyiv together with his wife Anastasia, and participating daily in the rallies:
Stefan says:
“Well over a million Ukrainians throughout Ukraine and on the Majdan have taken to the streets to protest… they are demanding the removal & impeachment of President Yanukovych, the dismissal of the government, new elections for the President and the parliament of Ukraine, and the Minister of Internal Affairs – Vitalij Zacharchenko – to face criminal charges for his actions in ordering these Special Forces to be used against innocent and peaceful protesters and for orchestrating provocateurs to pretend to be part of the protest group…
… This massive people power protest, whose catch cry is evolving to one of REVOLUTION, has now grabbed the attention of the civilised world and is paramount in Ukraine’s continuance on its path to enforcing systemic changes to its current corrupt government practises…
The rallies on Freedom Square will continue, notwithstanding the cold winds and snow, but the numbers of protesters continues to increase. The basic demands of the Ukrainian people are:
- The dismissal of the government of President Yanukovych;
- The dismissal of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
- Immediate Presidential & Parliamentary elections;
- The signing of the Association agreement to join the European Union;
- The charging of the Minister of Internal Affairs Vitalij Zacharchenko with criminal offences against the people of Ukraine;
The Ukrainian community of Australia continues to support the aspirations of the freedom loving people of Ukraine… We see a clear path for Ukraine to become an integral part of Europe… We condemn the actions of the Special Forces “Berkut” in their violent and completely uncalled for attacks on a peaceful student’s rally at Freedom Square on 30 November… We also condemn the continued attacks as late as Monday at the Presidential offices against innocent protesters following an orchestrated attack by government stooges on the building… And we condemn the latest threats by Prime Minister Azarov to harshly deal with the protesters by laying the blame squarely at the feet of the young students on the Majdan…”
Thank You…
Slavа Ukraini!
