Clashes in Kiev as Ukraine moves to clear Independence Square protest camp

UK Telegraph ^ | 8-7-2014 | Roland Oliphant

[tcrlaf]

Protesters and police have clashed in central Kiev as authorities moved to clear the protest camp on Independence Square.

Black smoke billowed over the city centre as protesters set fire to barricades and hurled cobblestones at police and interior ministry troops who arrived to remove tents and barricades on Thursday morning.

Clashes erupted when municipal workers equipped with cranes and backed by police and interior ministry troops arrived to clear tents on Khreshyatik street, the city's main thoroughfare, early on Thursday

Ukrainian media reported the fires had been extinguished and many tents removed by early afternoon.

It is not known how many were injured in the clashes.

The protest camp on Independence Square, or the Maidan, as it is commonly known, was the epicentre of the revolution that led to the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych in February.

[tcrlaf]

The dissenters against the old regime are dissenting against the new regime, and that simply cannot be allowed.

So, in roll the tanks!

[1rudeboy]

But many Kiev locals have grown tired of the disruption caused by the camp, which some say has become a haven for petty crime and drunkenness since most activists left.

The fighting reveals splits in post-revolutionary Ukraine, with the two interior ministry battalions used to clear the square – Kiev 1 and Kiev 2 – drawn from former Maidan activists.

[Sacajaweau]

sounds like obama is running the show

[McGruff]

You sure we haven't been here before?

[McGruff]

Two Comments Removed by Moderator in the first five. That's gotta be a record.

[Admin Moderator]

Please do not post copyrighted photos. Thanks.

[dfwgator]

Must be copyrighted pics.

[Almondjoy]

He only reads what he wants, truth is not important to him.

[tcrlaf]

Sorry. Didn’t notice a copyright.

[McGruff]

I must admit I didn’t know much about Ukraine until I saw pictures of this rioting in Kiev with firebombs being thrown at the police and such. I said to myself I’d better check this out. I’m much wiser(or at least well informed) now.

[tcrlaf]

“I didn’t know much about Ukraine until I saw pictures of this rioting in Kiev “

Likewise...
Then I started noticing the wild spin, and started researching.

[1rudeboy]

I must admit I didn’t know much about Ukraine....

[tcrlaf]

Twitter pic from Michael Bociurkiw, OSCE Spokesperson for the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

[tcrlaf]

“many Kiev locals have grown tired of the disruption caused by the camp”

The “kiev locals” being the ones in the Government buildings, whose new careers could be at risk from the threats of a new Maidan, because they believe the other Maidan has been sold out.

[1rudeboy]

Your “research” shows that?

[tcrlaf]

Liveleak video,

Maidan 2.0 Behind the Scenes Interviews with Activists 07-08-14
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c87_1407420369&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter