"Even the introverts are here!" Ukrainians have a knack for slogans, and on Wednesday, July 23, two days after MPs voted through a controversial law that stripped two of Ukraine's main anti-corruption agencies of their independent status, the second night of demonstrations was akin to a festival of creative signs. The people of Kyiv gathered in front of the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater, in far greater numbers than had come the day before: 9,000, according to the police. This time, they had managed to grab cardboard from the post office or Nova Poshta (a private postal competitor) and to hone their messaging. Sitting on curbs or leaning against low walls, with markers in hand and tongues sticking out in concentration, they perfected their slogans before brandishing them in front of the presidential palace. The movement has already been dubbed the "cardboard revolution."

Many had believed that Ukraine's young people had all left the country to escape conscription or bombardments. Yet the youth were present in Kyiv and in several other cities across the country. On Tuesday, a young veteran who enlisted in 2023 and sported a black beard and a plain white T-shirt was the main figure who called for the protests on social media. By Wednesday, the call had spread across Facebook, with adults and elected officials included, announcing demonstrations to be held at 8 pm in Kyiv and 6 pm in regional capitals. Yet it was the country's young people, simultaneously serious and witty, who took the lead. They chose the makeshift cardboard signs to show that they did not want pre-printed posters, partisan materials or the slogans of career politicians.

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