The protest movements in Eastern Europe are now considered milestones of political change. In addition to the Georgian Rose Revolution and Ukrainian Maidan, Belarus has contributed its own metaphor stemming from protestors’ call to “be like water” and constantly change the place of protests throughout August and September 2020. In this discussion, Mykhailo Minakov, Oxana Shevel, and Andrei Kazakevich considered these mass protests in each country. What do they have in common, how do they differ, and what are their short- to mid-term political consequences?

Speakers: Oxana Shevel - Associate Professor of Political Science, Tufts University

Andrei Kazakevich - Director, Institute of Political Studies “Palitychnaya sphera” (Political Sphere)

Mykhailo Minakov - Senior Advisor; Editor-in-Chief, Focus Ukraine Blog, Kennan Institute

Moderator: William Pomeranz - Deputy Director, Kennan Institute