The Resolute "NO"

About one thousands of citizens of Sumy took part at the meeting of protest against joining up of Sumy Universities Look PHOTO

The meeting of June 28 at the Independence Square was prohibited according to the decision of the Court. That's why, the students have organized the meting at the Shevchenko Square. A lot of policemen and representatives of security services kept an eye on the protesters.

The speakers appealed to stop joining of the universities and claimed that they do not wish to live under the dictatorship. Both students and teachers demanded to reverse the President's decree concerning creation of the SNU. After finish of speeches, the students have moved back to the lawn, thus giving the place for the traditional imposition of flowers to the monument of Shevchenko. Meanwhile, the students begin to put up the tent camp. In this monument, a provocation has occurred. An unknown skinhead guy has broken into the camp and damaged one of them. The chief of Sumy policemen, Sergey Chmil, who stood beside, made no efforts to detain the provocateur, and then declared that there are no policemen inside the crowd, and appealed to keep order.

In order to avoid repetition of provocations, the participants of the meeting took hands of each other, and encircled the tent camp with the dense ring. The organizers have started to collect money for the participants of the action.

When the governor Vladimir Scherban, chairman of regional council Mark Berfman, mayor of Sumy Vladimir Omelchenko and other representatives of administration have visited the square, the participants of the action kept silence during the whole ceremony of imposition of flowers. The deputy and rector Alexander Tsarenko was also present at the ceremony. The representatives of authority pretended not to note the protesters. None of the officials spoke with any of them.

Meanwhile, the participants of the action have started to develop the tent camp. They have claimed the citizens of Sumy to come to the tent camp, to support the demands of students and teachers.

Chronicle of the Conflict

Before students has organized the meeting of protest at June, 28, and put up tents in Shevchenko Square, the following events have occurred:

April 20 - Leonid Kuchma, the president of Ukraine, has signed a decree concerning creation of Sumy National University (SNU) on the basis of three Sumy Universities (though such resolution can be made only by the Ministry Cabinet).

June 17 - Viktor Yanukovich, the prime minister of Ukraine, has signed a decree concerning creation of the SNU on the basis of three universities, which are to be liquidated.

June 21 - Vasiliy Kremin, the minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, has appointed Alexander Tsarenko, the deputy of Verhovnaya Rada (i.e., Ukrainian Parliament), to become the acting rector of SNU (though, according to Ukrainian laws, a deputy of Verhovnaya Rada can not simultaneously occupy another position).

June 22 - In the building of Sumy Regional Administration, the ceremony of introduction of the new rector occurs. The participants are Vladimir Scherban, the governor of Sumy Region, Mikhail Stepko, the vice-minister of education, and representatives of each of three universities. The acting rector A. Tsarenko proposes to vote for the temporary statute of SNU, in order the Sumy State University could start to work. Some professors say that they are not empowered to vote by their colleagues. Besides, nobody has seen the temporary statute of SNU. One of professors has voted against the document. The rector Tsarenko has plainly hinted him that he will hardly be engaged to work in the new university. Under pressure of Tsarenko and Scherban, the document is accepted. Most of professors were feared to refuse their jobs. The citation of Tsarenko at that meeting: "When these people will not vote for the document, we will bring other people, who will vote".

June 23 and 24 - the lecturers and collaborators of liquidated universities are informed that in two months each of them will be fired due to liquidation. The old door-plates are taken away from the doors. The collaborators of Agricultural University appear and begin to give orders. The students are informed that now they should work during summer labor practice at land improvement 200 hours instead of 40. Most of students have refused to fulfil these requirements. Some faculties and departments are informed to be relocated.

June 25 - soon after midday, a car equipped with a hoisting crane has approached the Central Building of Sumy State University (SSU), and unknown workers start to dismount the signboard "Sumy State University", as well as the National Emblem of Ukraine. At 16.00, above 400 lecturers and collaborators of SSU, together with students, have gathered in the assembly hall. The alarmed lecturers create the organizational committee on the basis of trade union, which is to be converted, if necessary, to the strike committee. The representatives of students declare about their intention to organize the meeting of protest and put up the tents at June, 28, at the Independence Square (the central square of Sumy). The teachers support students and promise to come to the square.

At the same time, in the assembly hall of the former Sumy Pedagogical State University, a concert devoted to joining of Sumy universities into SNU has occurred. In the concert, the collectives of each of three universities took part, as well as the authorities of SNU, including A.Tsarenko, who has come accompanied by guests from Poland. When it was the turn of the former Sumy National Agricultural University (SNAU), the students of SSU, clothed in black, have stalked out of the meeting. Each of them has thrown down two carnations, like at the funeral ceremony, grieving over the perished Sumy Sate University. At the exit of the assembly hall, some skirmish with university guards has occurred (the guards tried to keep the intractable students inside). Then, these several hundred students have walked to the center of the town, claiming protests against joining of universities. The column has followed along the Sobornaya street (the central street of Sumy) and has stopped near the building of Sumy Regional Administration. After half-an-hour-meeting, the students have dispersed.

June 26 - Alexander Tsarenko, the rector of SNU, has visited SSU. Among others, he has met representatives of protesting students. Tsarenko has said that 200 hours of forced labor and dismounting of the Emblem from the Building of SSU was not his initiative, and he will punish his people who were guilty. The rector of SNU has also expressed his willing that students should refuse to organize the meeting planned at the June 28. The same day, the Court of Sumy has prohibited to conduct the meeting, having satisfied a claim of Sumy authorities.

June 27 - In the evening, A.Vasilyev, the former vice-rector and now the temporary rector of SSU, has collected the teachers, declared them the decision of the Court, and asked to prevent appearance of students at the meeting. He gives orders to the deans of faculties to call to parents of students, and at the morning, to set the teachers at the approaches to the Independence Square.

However, a number of teachers have spoken in support of students, indicating that just due to the activity of students the started boundless illegality has partly suspended. The speakers appealed not to believe to lying promises and to continue struggle against joining of universities. Some teachers suggested to take part at the meeting, in order to defend the students from possible provocations. Besides, the teachers have decided to conduct the meeting at June 29, at the square before the SSU.