Riot police in Kharkiv rebuff language law opponents' offensive - Aug. 20, 2012

Riot police in Kharkiv rebuff language law opponents’ offensive

Published Aug. 20, 2012 at 2:55 pm

Ukrainian opposition activists clash with riot police on July 4, 2012 during a protest in Kyiv against a new language law as President Viktor Yanukovych summoned the leaders of parliament to limit a growing crisis. Several people were left covered in blood and broken glass littered the street. The police used tear gas in an apparent bid to bring the situation under control. The opposition reacted furiously to the Verkhovna Rada's rushed passing late on July 3 of the law elevating the status of Russian, which was not on the parliament's agenda for the day.

Photo by AFP

KHARKIV - A riot police squad has arrived at the Kharkiv City Council building where opponents of the Law on the Principles of the State Language Policy are holding a rally.

The Berkut riot police squad and regular police have rebuffed
protestors’ attack and attempts to break into the building, where an
emergency session is to begin..

Police and the Berkut squad have set up a double cordon. No one is
allowed into the building and deputies are compelled to use a reserve
entrance. Some of the protestors are seated on the stairs, chanting
“Shame!” “Hands off the Language!” “No to the Regional Languages!” “No
to Russification!”