Attitude toward TRCs: When people united in support of a “Moscow priest”
Either the authorities are failing in their campaign to stir up hatred against the UOC, or Ukrainians simply dislike the conscription offices far more.
On September 11, local and national media reported a sensational incident in Cherkasy: enlistment officers tried to seize a “Moscow priest,” but he fought back with a bag holding an axe and sprayed the “manhunters” with pepper spray.
The journalists, as usual, painted the UOC priest in dark colors: “Look, good people, see what these enemy agents are doing to our noble enlistment officers.”
But the reaction in the comments – both on news sites and social media – turned out to be completely unexpected. People almost unanimously sided with the priest, despite his belonging to the “FSB church.”
Here are a few examples:
• “Now this is a Priest with a capital P.”
• “God will forgive the priest! The enlistment office belongs in hell!”
• “He did the right thing. One must defend oneself.”
• “He’ll make a fine military chaplain.”
• “A holy axe!”
• “I’ve absolved him of his sins.”
• “Legend!”
• “They lie on purpose to make everyone angry at the clergy.”
So here we have two possibilities: either the government is failing miserably in its effort to incite hatred against the UOC – or Ukrainians’ dislike of the enlistment offices is simply too strong to be hidden.
