While negotiations are apparently ongoing although Klitschko has vowed "To extend the camp in Kiev until demands are met" and called for a national strike,
- *KLITSCHKO VOWS TO EXPAND KIEV CAMP UNTIL DEMANDS ARE MET
- *KLITSCHKO RENEWS CALL FOR NATIONAL STRIKE
- *KLITSCHKO SAYS AUTHORITIES ARE AFRAID OF REGIONAL UNREST
- *KLITSCHKO SAYS YANUKOVYCH STILL AGAINST SNAP ELECTIONS
the escalating violence has seen the Ukrainian government take the next step... as Mike Kriger notes...
Submitted by Mike Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg blog [4],
...having previously highlighted the ingenious use of mirrors by Ukrainian protestors [5] to utilize non-violent, creative tactics to make powerful political statements. With violence escalating in the past 24 hours, it appears the Ukrainian government is now breaking out technological Big Brother by sending mass text messages to protestors warning them that they are being watched.
Remember: Your Government Loves You.
From CNET:
Your government wants to protect you. Because your government cares. Because your government works for you.
Except, that is, when you don’t like your government. That’s when your government works against you.
Take the Ukraine, which several people are trying to do just at the moment.
It’s decided to show what open government is really about. So it’s openly texting its citizens to tell them when they’ve been spotted protesting against the government.
As The New York Times reports [6], the powers-that-be are being powered by phone technology that identifies any cell phone that happens to be adjacent to where protesters are clashing with the uniformed officers of the state. (Protesting, you see, has suddenly been made illegal.)
Text messages are reportedly being sent that say: “We can see you!!!”
Yes, I have inserted quite some paraphrasing here. The texts actually say: “Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance.”
Full article here [7].