In case you have not been following the news in Ukraine like I have, it has not gotten better. In fact, on January 22, which was supposed to be Ukraine’s unity day, things only got worse.

Here is a video that gives you a sense of Ukraine’s current emotional state (obligatory cautionary note: language):

The facts:

• The weather in Kiev for the next week reaches a high of 15° F (-9° C) and a low of -12° F (-25° C).
• Thousands of protestors flood the streets of Kiev daily, despite the violent conditions (both from riot police and the weather itself).
• Five people have died directly or indirectly related to the protests — hundreds have been injured.
• Injured protestors have been seen going into hospitals for treatment, then gone missing soon after. Therefore, underground medical tents/rooms have been developed to treat the ill or injured protestors.
• It is now a felony to gather and protest in the streets. People who are arrested will spend 15 years in prison for this “felony.”

Here is a good article that discusses more of these facts in detail.

The mistreatment of Ukrainian rioters does not end there. Here is another video discussing some specific examples of the turmoil in Kiev:

I am blown away at the bravery of the protestors. Up until this point, when they were pushed against the wall with a felony charge, they have been wholly nonviolent; however, things are getting crucial. If you would like to help, visit http://www.uuarc.org. Or, you can read this letter from Yuri Andrukhovych: Appeal to European Readers.

EDIT: A colleague shared a wonderful link with me. This is a blog post titled “On ‘Extremism.'” There are two versions — scroll down for English.