“Shoot everyone!”: Demand for radical measures to restore order is growing among Ukrainians

More than half of Ukrainian citizens are ready to support mass protests, and 6% want to do this with weapons in their hands.

Olga Balakireva, head of the board of the Ukrainian Institute for Social Research named after Oleksandr Yaremenko, announced this at a press conference in Kyiv while presenting the results of an all-Ukrainian sociological survey as part of the institute's public opinion monitoring program, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

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“Today more than half, 54%, are ready to either personally take part in protests (17%), or support them, although they will not personally take part (37%). The general intensity of protest sentiment is very high. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the readiness to take up arms is 6%. At the same time, I have field notes from interviewers - when respondents are told that they are being offered a card with a list of questions, some react like this: “shoot everyone!” There is such an element of sentiment and we, sociologists, should talk about it. There is a certain negativity in the perception of the situation regarding the actions of the current government,” she said.

At the same time, of those 17% who are ready to personally take part in protests, the rate of readiness to take up arms increases threefold. “This must be understood, given that there are weapons in the country, military operations are ongoing and they are available,” said Olga Balakireva.

The survey was conducted by the NGO "Ukrainian Institute of Social Research named after Alexander Yaremenko" and the Center "Social Monitoring" from December 1 to December 10, 2018 using the method of personal interviews. 2198 respondents aged 18 years and older were surveyed; the sample was representative by gender, type of settlement and region. Standard deviation +/- 2,1%, level of cooperation of respondents (their willingness to answer questions asked – Ed) 56%.