In the most violent scenes since anti-government protests began in Ukraine more than two months ago, radical demonstrators clashed with riot police outside the cabinet building in central Kiev on Sunday, while thousands of onlookers cheered them on.
Donning helmets and masks, the group hurled fireworks and bricks at police, and seized at least three of their buses, burning one and ramming another into a police cordon.
Police doused the buses that protesters set ablaze using hoses and a water cannon. Later, in sub-zero temperatures, they turned that water cannon on protesters in an attempt to push them back.
Violence continued between police and protesters into the early hours of Jan. 20, more than 12 hours after it began. Weather forecasters are predicting sub-freezing temperatures and fresh snowfall, but it's not clear that will cool tempers on either the side of the police or protesters.
More than 100 people were injured, mostly police officers, in the clashes. Police used rubber bullets, water cannons, truncheons and stun grenades on demonstrators who countered with homemade explosives, Molotov cocktails, sticks and other weapons.
No comments:
Post a Comment