The following seven minutes of mayhem look eerily reminiscent of the violent pre-ambles to the middle-east's recent coups or non-coups. As anti-government protesters demonstrated against the shunning of a European trade agreement (President Yanukovych - "I will not allow any serious economic losses and decline of living standards"); the clashes became ever more violent as the police cracked down. Following heavyweight boxing champion (and opposition leader) Vitali Klitschko's call for a new government - "our main task is Yanukovych’s resignation. But the first step is the resignation of Azarov’s government" - the clashes left at least 265 people injured. The crackdown followed Interior Minister comments that they "won’t allow Ukraine to become another Libya or Tunisia, where uprisings toppled governments in recent years." Of course, the main difference is the Ukraine is now squarely under Putin's sphere of influence.
0:20 Initial fireworks followed by police flash-bangs and tear gas...
1:45 Some standard police beatings
3:00 Ubiquitous projectile exchange
3:30 Police charge...
4:30 Serious police beatings handed out
5:30 The two fronts stare each other down
6:00 Serious police reinforcements