Maidan protesters were older, richer, Ukrainian-speaking, and surprisingly authoritarian in outlook

Evidence

In 2014, a survey painted a picture of which types of Ukrainians said they participated in the Maidan uprising. Protesters were older than those in Egypt or Tunisia (most were over forty), and a majority had taken part in the Orange Revolution. Participants were richer than most Ukrainians, but this was less pronounced than in 2004 since the violence pushed some wealthy people away. Citizens who spoke Ukrainian at home were five times more likely to come out to the square; 52 percent of participants supported multi-party democracy; 42 percent believed that Gypsies should be allowed to live in Ukraine; 62 percent agreed with the statement that “strong leaders can do more for our country than laws and discussions.” — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 525

Categorization

• XREF: Directly comparable to the demographic profiles of Egyptian and Tunisian protesters elsewhere in this book; the 62% agreeing ‘strong leaders can do more than laws’ echoes the ambiguity Bevins tracks between democratic and authoritarian mobilizations. — connects to: A working-class Ukrainian saw protest for EU association as serving oligarchs. — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 463; Ukraine’s anti-Maidan movement was more working-class than the pro-EU protests — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 519; A tiny far-right fringe, not the population, dominated the Maidan’s militant core — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 492
• QUESTION: The odd mix — 52% support multi-party democracy while 62% favor strong leaders — deserves a careful read rather than lazy caricature.

Broader Connections

• A tiny far-right fringe, not the population, dominated the Maidan’s militant core #qualifies (0.78) — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 492