Preventing Cross Procession, authorities achieved the opposite result, - expert
The Director of the Fund for Humanitarian Strategies, political analyst Mikhail Pavliv believes that the authorities in their attempt to prevent the Cross Procession of peace, love and prayer for Ukraine, have only added to the popularity of the procession.
"Hysteria, including the informational one, that accompanied the faithful in their feat of the Cross Procession, could not prevent a 100-thousand moleben for peace. On the contrary, the authorities in an attempt to discredit the religious procession, only made it more popular," said Mikhail Pavliv.
At the same time the analyst condemned the attempts of some officials to disrupt the Cross Procession.
"The more persecution and obstacles were created in the way of the religious columns, the more it united people, – said the expert. And, of course, one cannot resent those technologies which officials resorted – from intimidation to failure to provide transport to those who wanted to join the prayer service from other cities. But, again, with his actions Arsen Avakov made the participants in the Cross Procession the best gift ever. As the Gospel reads: "blessed are ye, when men shall revile you and persecute and otherwise unjustly speak evil of Me."