Protesters on the sidelines of an anti-government rally in Ukraine clashed on Sunday with riot police, attacking them with sticks and trying to overturn a bus commandeered by police to block the main road leading to parliament.
The clashes broke out after opposition politicians called on people to disregard new legislation that bans the anti-government rallies which have convulsed the former Soviet republic for the past two months.
Boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko, one of the main opposition leaders and speakers at the main rally, went to the scene of the clashes about 100 meters from Kiev's Independence Square, and sought to persuade protesters to refrain from attacking police.
However, protesters did not back off and continued to shower fireworks and other objects on riot police, who protected themselves with shields.