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Five Shocking Photos from the Protests in Ukraine

Pro-European Union activists during a rally in the Ukrainian capital Kiev's main square
Pro-European Union activists during a rally in the Ukrainian capital Kiev's main square / AP
January 20, 2014

Protesters and police in Kiev, Ukraine, clashed once again over the weekend.

At issue this time is a tough anti-protest bill pushed through the Ukrainian parliament last week. Political opposition says the legislation will lead to a police state.

The laws "ban any unauthorized installation of tents, stages, or use of loud-speakers in public," Reuters reports. The new laws were denounced by the United States and other Western nations.

The weekend's protests were just the latest in the cycle of protests that have been ongoing since late November. Protests broke out that month because of the government's decision not to sign a trade and integration deal with the European Union.

The Washington Free Beacon assembled five shocking photos from the weekend's protests.

1. Riot police officers throw stun grenades at anti-government protesters

Riot police officers throw stun grenades at anti-government protesters
AP

2. A stun grenade explodes as protesters clash with police

A stun grenade explodes as protesters clash with police
AP

3. Opposition leader and former WBC heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko is attacked and sprayed with a fire extinguisher

Opposition leader and former WBC heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko is attacked and sprayed with a fire extinguisher
AP

4. Seen through a vehicle torched by protesters overnight, police officers block a street during unrest

Seen through a vehicle torched by protesters overnight, police officers block a street during unrest
AP

5. A protester throws a stone towards a burning police bus

A protester throws a stone towards a burning police bus
AP

Published under: Ukraine