Violence erupts in Kyiv as protesters attack controversial construction site
A protest against the construction of a new shopping mall in Kyiv turned into a violent confrontation when a melee broke out among protestors, camouflaged hooligans, and police. Fifteen police officers were reported injured in the incident.
Activists campaigning against construction of a new mall, ‘Le Boulevard,’ near Kyiv’s “Osokorky” metro station tried to demolish a fence surrounding the construction site late on Tuesday, succeeding in inflicting much damage to the property.
They were confronted by an unknown group of men wearing camouflage and masked in balaclavas. Local media outlets branded these as “titushki” – Ukrainian slang for hired thugs.
Smoke flares were used by some participants in the brawl, while both sides threw stones at each other.
A video of the incident shows some people lying on the ground being violently beaten by a raging crowd.