Due to a series of scandalous statements by Iryna Farion, Lviv students came out to protest, chanting "Down with Farion!". Find out more about what the scandalous teacher is accused of and what Ukrainians demand from the authorities

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Iryna Farion is a Ukrainian politician, philologist and lecturer at Lviv Polytechnic University, known for her loud statements that have repeatedly led to scandals. Today, public condemnation has reached an unprecedented level, as Ukrainians are not only demanding Farion's dismissal from her position as a lecturer, but also asking the SBU to pay attention to her subversive activities.

Why are Ukrainians rallying against Farion?

In November 2023, Iryna Farion was involved in another language scandal, which was caused by her rude remarks about Ukrainian soldiers speaking russian at the front.

"Do you guys know what discipline is in the army? If there is no discipline in the army, there is no army. It's a rabble!" she said, adding that she could not "call them Ukrainians, if they don't speak Ukrainian, then let them call themselves russians.

Thus, according to Iryna Farion, the Ukrainian defenders who are now defending the sovereignty of the state in the trenches are a "rabble of Russians." In particular, this statement referred to the soldiers of the Azov battalion.

This situation was the "last straw" and Ukrainians began to massively call on the authorities to pay attention to Farion's activities and statements in order to violate the article on "insulting the honor and dignity of the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine." Moreover, the flurry of criticism came not only from ordinary Ukrainians, but also from the military and well-known Ukrainian figures.

It is worth noting that throughout her political career, Farion has been in the spotlight only because of her resonant statements, which were often "on the verge of common sense." For example, even in the events that took place in Mariupol at the beginning of the russian invasion, Farion blamed the Ukrainians and the government that "they chose," calling the deaths of thousands of civilians "karmic" and "determinism."

"Is it russia's fault? Did they lose their brains on the way?" Farion said, emphasizing that people should have voted for "sane" political forces.

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Is Farion a russian agent?

Due to Farion's rash actions, a Ukrainian living and studying in the temporarily occupied territories was threatened. Thus, the guy decided to express his position on the Ukrainian language by supporting Iryna Farion and wrote her a letter to her email address. 

Farion, in turn, published a screenshot of this letter without hiding Maxim Glebov's personal data. And despite the fact that Ukrainians began to write en masse that it was dangerous and she should have cropped or hidden the guy's name, because the FSB could visit him for "his Ukrainian position," Farion responded:

"Do not give advice when you are not asked. Do I have a hidden surname? Why did you hide yours? Block it?"

Obviously, within a few hours, the guy was detained by russian security forces and forced to retract his words and apologize on camera.

"I had an intelligent conversation with me (at the occupiers' center for combating extremism), and I completely renounce my views because I realize that I was wrong," the young man said.

Rally against Farion in Lviv: what do students demand?

On November 14, about a thousand students gathered outside the main building of Lviv Polytechnic demanding that Iryna Farion be fired from the university. The rally was held not only because of the teacher's direct statements, but also because the university itself had previously refused to "punish and dismiss" the teacher and stated that it "is not responsible for the statements of employees and students outside the university."

As reported by Suspilne Lviv, the students chanted "Down with Farion" with posters "Farion - down with her", "Iryna Farion disgraces Ukraine", "Farioff" in their hands.

As the students later reported, they did not succeed in getting Farion fired or at least suspended. The rector's office stated that "there are no legal grounds to dismiss Farion. On the 23rd, the same commission will meet and make a decision."

With his statements, Farion not only dishonors the honor and dignity of Ukrainians and the military, but also incites hostility within the country, dividing society into two warring camps. Moreover, any such statements provoke the intensification of russian propaganda in the world, one part of which is based on the "language issue."

We remind you! russia's propaganda machine works tirelessly to promote narratives against Ukraine. Read more about the number of Ukrainians who believe that the West is tired of the war and that there is a split between Ukraine's military and political leadership in our previous article.

Photo: Anastasia Smolenko, Ukrinform

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