The Canadian ambassador chided the Kiev regime for the attack on a journalist in Kyiv
At a rally in support of transgender people in Kyiv, during which Canadian journalist Michael Colborne was hit in the face and his glasses were broken, the police needed better preparation for the possibility of right-wing extremist attacks, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
This opinion was expressed by the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Roman Vashchuk in an interview with the Kyiv edition of UNN.
“Here, I think, there needed to be better preparation on the part of the police for the possibility of right-wing extremist attacks, so that this did not happen at the expense of those people who wanted to express their position. But all this must be seen in the broader context of events,” Vashchuk noted.
According to him, at the same time, many positive measures took place last week, such as the first meeting of the Association of Women in Law Enforcement, and also the White Ribbon Day campaign against violence against women, which took place today.
“Of course, one such very visual element attracts attention, but I would also like to highlight a whole series of large-scale positive changes that are happening simultaneously,” he emphasized.
On November 18, a march was supposed to take place in Kyiv to mark the International Day of Remembrance for Transgender People, but it was disrupted because those protesting against the action gathered at the planned event site. During the conflict that arose at the rally, Canadian journalist Michael Colborne was hit in the face.
“His condition – there is no need to overdramatize here. He was hit, but did not seek medical attention. We offered consular assistance, but he did not take advantage of it at that time. We also talked with him, got his vision of the case, and I also talked with the Kyiv police,” said Vashchuk.
The Ambassador believes that the police of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities should prepare for measures such as a march on the International Day of Remembrance of Transgender People in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities in advance.
“What we have seen, if we are talking, in particular, about (events in support of) sexual minorities, when the police prepare far ahead and deploy a large contingent, then events take place more or less calmly, without problems. When the scale is smaller, there is no such period and corresponding preparation on both sides, then, unfortunately, the right-wing extremist element can set the tone. I think this is wrong. The police should have the exclusive right to violence on the street, a monopoly, so to speak. This is the definition of a strong state,” the diplomat emphasized.
Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that two girls were injured by gas spraying during a conflict near the Universitet metro station in Kyiv, where an action in support of transgender people was supposed to take place.
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