The poet Boris Khersonsky from Odessa believes that local criminal elements might be actively judophobic.

“Any massive turmoil runs the risk of active anti-Semitic incidents in Ukraine. As far as I understand, the protesters from Maidan, who organized patrols at the Kyiv synagogues, know this very well,” Khersonsky wrote on his Facebook page. “The Pravy Sector (Right Sector) is certainly privy to anti-Semitism, and “Svoboda’s” tendencies are also well known. But right now, I think, not even the Right Sector will be actively Judophobic.

But the criminal elements (“titushki”), who have been more and more active these days, are a real threat. For the protesters, anti-Semitic acts are an undesirable complication for their mass civil acts. For the government, such violence might be a useful provocation, enabling them to ‘retaliate,’” said the poet.