Kiev police use water-cannons (photo, video)

The eighth Popular Assembly in Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kiev turned into clashes with the police. Euromaidan participants headed for the building of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada along Grushevski Street. They wanted to start a picket in protest against the repressive laws adopted on January 16.

A police cordon blocked Grushevski Street and the roads leading to the governmental buildings and Parliament. Young people attacked police buses on the way to the governmental buildings. About 300 young people wearing masks started using petards, smoke bombs and fighting. The police used batons and tear gas.

The police used flash-bang grenades with tear gas, UNIAN reports. Berkut troops also arrived there.

The special police forces were reported to be using rubber bullets. At least two people (a representative of the Red Cross and a protester) were wounded.

Two water-cannons were delivered to Grushevski Street and used against protesters. Meanwhile, the temperature reached -9 degrees Celsius in Kiev.  According to the international norms, water-cannons are not allowed if the temperature is lower than +5 degrees Celsius, Ukrainian mass media report.

Photo: unian.net