Ukraine's political crisis took a deadly turn today, with at least nine people reported killed and others injured in violent clashes between protesters and police outside Ukraine's parliament.
Two policemen died, probably from gunshot wounds, as well as seven civilians, including three who were shot, Kiev city police spokeswoman Olha Bilyk told the Associated Press.
As darkness fell, opposition leaders warned that security forces may be preparing to clear a sprawling protest tent camp on Kiev's Independence Square. Law enforcement agencies vowed to bring order to the streets and shut down subway stations in the capital.
Yet an evening deadline set by the authorities to end street clashes passed and there was no immediate action to clear the camp.
Thousands of protesters streamed to the square to defend the camp, where Orthodox priests prayed for peace.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
'We see that this regime again has begun shooting people; they want to sink Ukraine in blood. We will not give in to a single provocation,' opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the protesters. 'We will not take one step back from this square. We have nowhere to retreat to. Ukraine is behind us, Ukraine's future is behind us.'
Thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police outside parliament as opposition lawmakers accused the government of stalling constitutional reform that would decrease the president's powers.
Protesters set fire to vehicles and threw rocks at police, who responded by firing rubber bullets and stun and smoke grenades from trucks and from the tops of buildings, forcing the protesters back by about 100 metres.
Three protesters died in the clashes, Oleh Musiy, a top medic for the protesters, told The Associated Press. Opposition lawmaker Lesya Orobets made the same statement on Twitter.
No comments:
Post a Comment