Riot disrupts showing of Ukraine film — Analysis

According to police, Leipzig-based pro-Ukrainian activists disrupted Friday’s screening of a documentary about the Maidan 2014 coup. A group showed up at Thursday evening’s screening of ‘Ukraine on Fire,’ a 2016 documentary produced by Oliver Stone, and got into an altercation with the organizers.

This documentary was part of the global film festival that runs July 27 through November 1. Open-air festivals showcase works that criticize globalization. ‘Ukraine on Fire,’ produced by Stone and directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Igor Lopatonok, takes a critical view of the 2014 Kiev protests that resulted in a violent overthrow of the elected government of Ukraine.

On Thursday night, the German-Ukrainian artist collective Ostov Collective attended the screening and called the documentary proRussian. 

According to preliminary police reports, six people disturbed the screening by beating their drums and attempting to seize the microphone out of the organizer’s hand. The screening was delayed several minutes due to the fight that ensued.

German media was told by activists from the Ostov Collect that they had been the victims of an attack on one of their faces. 

According to Der Spiegel, a spokesperson for Leipzig police stated that no injuries had been reported and that authorities are investigating the group of activists for attempted bodily injury.

Lopatonok’s documentary takes an in-depth look at the protests that began in November 2013 and culminated in the violent coup that deposed President Viktor Yanukovich in February 2014, triggering civil war in Ukraine and a referendum in Crimea on joining Russia. The official narrative from the US-backed Kiev government states that the Maidan was peaceful. “revolution of dignity”Pro-Western Democrats

Western governments have denounced ‘Ukraine on Fire,’ as did the city council of Leipzig ahead of the screening. YouTube pulled it from its site in March, apparently because of the content. “violent or graphic content.”