Vidsich

Vidsich

Logo of Vidsich. Motto is Time to rebuff
Full name	Civic movement «Vidsich»
Native name	Громадянський рух «Відсіч»
Founded	20 February 2010
Head union	without leaders
Country	Ukraine
Website	vidsich.info

Civic movement «Vidsich» (Ukrainian: Відсіч, Rebuff) is an active Ukrainian nonviolent social movement created in 2010 as a reaction to the policies of Victor Yanukovich and "pro-Russian" tendencies connected with his presidential administration. Vidsich focuses on a proactive defense of human rights, civil liberties and constitutional freedoms.

Vidsich unites activists who are convinced that people cannot be neutral with regard to the political and social situation in Ukraine. Vidsich's aim is in creating a strong national movement which can protect the interests of Ukrainians and Ukraine in general.

Founding

After the 2010 presidential elections, which were won by Victor Yanukovich, patriots and citizens, who would like to make a differ and previously had taken a part in protest campaigns decided to gather and discuss upcoming social and political situation in Ukraine, possible negative scenarios of events and threats, that could be expected from the new power. Friends, acquaintances, members of different organizations were invited at the gathering.

The meeting was appointed for February 20, 2010 in Kyiv. This date is considers to be the Vidsich founding date, according to a decision of self-organization for further activity and sketched principles and directions for the movement's future functioning.

At Vidsich's founding were involved participants of previous resistance movements ("Granite revolution", "Ukraine without Kuchma" movement, civic committee "Za pravdu!" ("For truth"), civic campaign "Pora!" ("It's time"), etc.), as well as other conscious citizens.

Principles of the movement

• Nonviolence
• Absence of leaders
• Openness
• No party affiliation / Non-partisan
• Consensus decision-making
• Sacrificion
• Copyleft

Actions and protest campaigns

December 2010 Vidsich protest in support of their «Start the work, stop the talk!» campaign.

2010 Vidsich protest in support of independent Ukrainian television channels.

Vidsich demonstration against new Tax code in 2010.

On action against raiding Kyiv Student Council by representatives of Dmytro Tabachnyk. Kyiv. April 6, 2013

The action of putting up a banner calling not to buy Russian gasoline. Kyiv. May 29, 2014

From the March 2010, civic movement «Vidsich» took part in hundreds of events (mostly street actions, warning strikes, sit down strikes, public hearings, round tables) in many cities of Ukraine, made either by ourselves, either in cooperation with other organizations.

Such as follows:

• «Campaign Against Tabachnyk» (Ukrainian: АнтиТабачна кампанія) - actions for protection of Ukrainian education and science from innovations of new Minister of education and science (Minister of education, science, youth and sports in future) Dmytro Tabachnyk, who already made a name by anti-Ukrainian, chauvinistic, xenophobic statements.^[1][2][3]
• Campaign «No to Police State» (Ukrainian: Ні поліцейській державі) – for impartial investigation and worthy punishment of those, who guilty in the case of Ihor Indylo student’s death,^[4] in other cases and against police abuse.^[5]
• Campaign against 2450 bill, which would significantly decrease the freedom of peaceful assembly, and for «Peaceful protest».^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Also, solidarity actions with Russian,^[11][12] and Belorussian^[13][14][15] people, who fight for their rights for peaceful assembly in their countries, were held.
• Campaign «Start the work, stop the talk!» (Ukrainian: Займіться ділом, а не язиком!) – against new bills «On languages in Ukraine» #1015-3, «On the principles of the state language policy» #9073 and it’s modifications (main: Legislation on languages in Ukraine), which would promote the «language» conflicts and strengthen the tense in the society and push away Ukrainian language from the areas of life and activity of Ukrainians.^[16]
  • Campaign «Revenge for division of Ukraine» aimed at preventing the adoption of the Law «On the Principles of State Language Policy» № 9073 and at the elimination of negative effects of the Law «On the Principles of State Language Policy» № 5029-VI. It consisted in the bringing down the poll numbers of the political parties and MPs who voted for this law and other persons who contributed to the adoption of this law.^[17]
• Campaign «Against degradation of education» (Ukrainian: Проти деградації освіти) – against adoption of the Bill on "Higher education" (#7486-1, #9655 and else), which lower and violate student rights, their social protection, promote corruption exacerbation in educational facilities, etc.^[18][19][20]
  • Campaign of the advocacy of External independent testing (EIT) – against the adoption of draft laws № 1187 and № 2060а minimizing the significance and function of EIT.^[21]
• Organisation of protests against Tax code, which forced government to fold the immediate adoption, (it was adopted later with editing) as well as refuse the idea of swift embranchment of Housing, Labour, Pension Codes.
• Actions against censorship and for freedom of speech, in particular - against frequency lowering for channels «5» and «TVi», «STB», and for the memory of dead journalists since Ukraine independence.^[22]
• Campaign for commemoration of the famine genocide Holodomor victims of 1932-1933, promotion of rename the toponyms, which cares the names of organizers and executors of genocide.
• Campaign "Do not buy Russian goods!" is a campaign to boycott Russian goods after the trade export blockade against Ukraine by Russia, started in August 2013;^[23][24][25] later - in response to the military invasion of Russia in Ukraine, started in March 2014.^[26]
  • Campaign "Boycott Russian Films". At the end of September 2014 the campaign on Russian cinema boycott started spreading. Particularly it is about boycott of films and serials, produced in Russia and broadcast on Ukrainian television and shown in the cinemas — first of all those, in which Russian security structures are popularized or signs of ukrainophobia are present. Activists also called to boycott Russian actors and directors, who supported Vladimir Putin's policy concerning warfare in Ukraine in 2014.^[27] During September activists conducted several monitorings on presence of Russian content in the Ukrainian television.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}
• Participation in "Euromaidan", including the organization of student strikes^{[33][34][35][36]} and campaign of boycott Party of Regions.^[37] During Euromaidan "Vidsich" in Kyiv formed a sotnia joined to Self-Defense of the Maidan, where received the 16th number.^[38]
• Events organized for raising funds,^[39] gathering of products,^[40][41] equipment etc. for Ukrainian military forces (particularly — for 95th OAMBr^[42][43]) that are fighting in the east of Ukraine.^[44][45] Also — demand actions for: returning control of eastern Ukraine and Crimea;^[46] setting requirements to the Ukrainian government to provide all necessary items and services for Ukrainian military forces;^[47][48][49] providing support to all Ukrainian military forces.^[50]

Also, CM «Vidsich» was an organizer or a participant in actions: of solidarity actions with Gorky park defenders; against Black Sea fleet of Russian Federation being on Ukraine's territory; for defending Ukrainian translation of the foreign movies; against persecution of historians and history rewriting; for promotions of state symbols; «Easter together» (students of the south and east of Ukraine staying in the families of their age-mates in the city of Lviv); Against museum throw-away from Lavra; «Ukrainian broadcast - on air!»; against Mazepa street rename; in memory of 66 anniversary of Crimean Tatars deportation; «Ruined Khreshchatyk - we remember!»; «Doughnuts for Donetsk region people» (Ukrainian: Пампухи для донеччан); collection of signatures for restoration of traffic of some suburban trains and actions against made-up ticket deficit in cash desks of Ukrzaliznytsya (Ukrainian railroads); students «arms» demonstration; creative action of protest against «tour» bill #8757 and else activities.

Notable activists

• Mykhaylo Svystovych
• Kateryna Chepura

See also

• Solidarity (Polish trade union)
• Otpor!
• Pora!

References

1. Акція-флешмоб «День боротьби з Табачником і нацизмом!» (фото) (Ukrainian). UF. 22.06.2010
2. Нагадаємо у День Незалежності, кому вона кісткою в горлі (video) (Ukrainian). Vidsich. 08.01.2012
3. «З Табачника реформ, як з козла молока!» (Ukrainian). TVi. 04.09.2011
4. Розібратися як помирав студент Індило
5. Деякі факти міліцейського свавілля за 2011 рік
6. Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Moldova Ukraine (15 June 2010). "Protests against plans to limit civil liberties in Ukraine". Easternpartnership.org. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
7. "Ukraine's Parliament may restrict the right to hold meetings". Helsinki.org.ua. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
8. Всеукраїнська ініціатива “За мирний протест!”
9. На Майдані у Києві утворили "резервацію" (Ukrainian). The Ukrainian Week. 28.03.2012
10. ГР "Відсіч" протестує проти законопроекту 2450. Alliance "Maidan". 22.03.2012
11. Сьогодні біля посольства Російської Федерації пройшла акція протесту і солідарності
12. "Лента за лентою. Україно, мовчи!"
13. 20-го липня біля білоруської амбасади українці провели акцію на підтримку білоруського народу (Ukrainian). Vidsich 21.07.2011
14. Українці під білоруським посольством підтримали опозицію (video) (Ukrainian). Chanel 24. 20.07.2011
15. Донецька влада відрізала струм прихильникам білоруської опозиції (Ukrainian). Radio Liberty 21.07.2011
16. "Protest against draft law on languages held in Kyiv". Photo.ukrinform.ua. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
17. Помста за розкол країни, Retrieved
18. "The students were protesting against the degradation of education". Yellowpage.in.ua. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
19. "The draft law on education actively promoted by the government will make colleges and universities completely dependent on the Education Ministry". Ukrainian Week. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
20. "Lviv students protest against educational policy". Photo.ukrinform.ua. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
21. ""Відсіч" розпочала кампанію на захист ЗНО проти освітніх ініціатив регіоналів та комуністів (ФОТО, ВІДЕО)". Maidan. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
22. "Protest action held outside Kyiv administrative court of appeals". Photo.ukrinform.ua. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
23. У соцмережах українців закликають бойкотувати російські товари. Український тиждень. 15.08.2013 (Ukrainian)
24. Януковича закликали не вважати Росію дружньою державою. Радіо Свобода. 22.08.2013 (Ukrainian)
25. Покупцям роздають листівки із закликом не купувати російські товари. Майдан. 27.08.2013 (Ukrainian)
26. Українці захищаються від росіян бойкотом їх товарів. ТСН. 1+1. 6.03.2014
27. Деятели культуры России — в поддержку позиции Президента по Украине и Крыму. Ministry for Culture of Russia. 11.03.2014 (Russian)
28. «Не пустимо в хату російську вату» — театралізована акція під Держкіно. Radio Liberty. 04.09.2014 (Ukrainian)
29. В Україні оголошено «Бойкот російського кіно». Zaxid.net. 22.09.2014 (Ukrainian)
30. Українські канали показують у день по 7,5 годин російських передач. Твоє місто. 23.09.2014 (Ukrainian)
31. Активисты нашли предателей среди украинских телеканалов. Вести UA. 08.09.2014 (Russian)
32. Кількість російського контенту на українських екранах збільшується, - дослідження. espreso.tv. 30.09.2014 (Ukrainian)
33. Блокування університетів: як воно відбувається і до чого приводить? Тарас Саламанюк. Корреспондент. 06.12.2013 (Ukrainian)
34. Українські студенти підтримали Євромайдан. У Києві та регіонах - страйки — NEWSru.ua, 26 листопада 2013
35. Студентський Євромайдан: КРОВ і ГРІМ — ZN.UA, 6 грудня 2013
36. Активісти закликають студентів записуватись до "Студентської сотні" — День, 11 грудня 2013
37. Активісти Євромайдану вчора пікетували «Епіцентр» на Воскресенці. ФОТО. Ні корупції. 03.02.2014
38. На третій барикаді. Як тендітна дівчина керує "Нічною вартою" (спецпроект Механізм Майдану). Тексти. 13.01.2014
39. . Vidsich. 09.09.2014 (Ukrainian)
40. . Vidsich. 18.08.2014 (Ukrainian)
41. . Відсіч. 26.08.2014
42. Акція на підтримку 95-ої Житомирської аеромобільної бригади. 24 channel. 21.09.2014 (Ukrainian)
43. Активісти мерзли заради бійців 95-ї бригади. ФОТО. 1.zt.ua. 03.10.2014 (Ukrainian)
44. Vidsich. Base of approved volunteers and organizations (Ukrainian)
45. Славянск вяртаецца да нармальнага жыцьця. Radio Liberty. 14.08.2014 (Belarusian: )
46. Активісти створили мапу втрат України. 24 channel. 30.04.14 (Ukrainian)
47. Під АП жінки вимагали забезпечити військових усім необхідним (Доповнено фото). UNN. 07.06.2014 (Ukrainian)
48. Міліція завадила жінкам провести біля ВР пікет на підтримку бійців АТО. LB. 07.06.2014
49. Міліція та самооборона розігнали демонстрацію руху Відсіч під Радою. 2 фото. Спротив. 08.06.2014 (Ukrainian)
50. В Киеве разрисовали футболки с пожеланиями для солдат АТО. 112.ua. 12.06.2014 (Ukrainian)

External links

• Official site of movement «Vidsich» (Ukrainian).
• Facebook profile
• Facebook group
• Twitter thread
• LiveJournal
• YouTube channel
• Photo gallery on BBC
• Russia, hands off Ukraine. Official group of campaign «Do not buy Russian!» on Facebook in English