Ukrainian police have used tear gas and stun grenades after pro-EU protesters began throwing Molotov cocktails at officers. The clashes followed violence at the protests in the country’s capital, Kiev, on the previous day.
The protesters climbed atop the main gate of the Dynamo football stadium, using it as a strongpoint to bombard the police’s special forces with Molotov cocktails.
The officers, who were trying to prevent protesters from entering the governmental offices district, were forced to retreat, RIA Novosti news agency reports.
Fire brigade teams have arrived at Kiev’s European Square to put out fires, burning riot police shields and officers’ uniforms.
Every now and then we see the injured being carried on stretchers to ambulance cars. In the last 15 minutes we have seen 4 of those
— Alexey Yaroshevsky (@Yaro_RT) January 20, 2014
The demonstrators have delivered gasoline canisters and empty bottles to make more Molotov cocktails.
The police opted for tear gas and stun grenades in order to contain the rioting crowd, which local media estimate at around 2,000.
RT’s cameraman was caught in the stand-off as he got hit in the back with a rubber bullet fired by police, Aleksey Yaroshevsky reports. The cameraman was not injured.
One of our cameramen was saved by a plastic shield he wore on his back. It blocked a metal bullet fired by the police
— Alexey Yaroshevsky (@Yaro_RT) January 20, 2014
A cameraman of Ukraine's ICTV channel was hit with a bullet in the eye, however. Yaroshevsky reports that doctors say he might partially lose his sight.
The protesters meanwhile built a wooden catapult on European Square. The 3-meter-tall ballistic device was put to use with a shot fired in the direction of the police. The projectile flew less than 10 meters, however, and no casualties were reported.
The protesters and the police are separated from each other by a convoy of Interior Ministry vehicles, which were burnt by the protesters on Sunday, becoming a symbolic dividing line between the sides.
http://rt.com/news/ukraine-clashes-kiev-molotov-907/