You're reading: Ukraine opposition, police clash in soccer fan zone

A crowd of Ukrainians, angry over a parliamentary vote that would increase the role of the Russian language in the country, clashed with police on June 5 at a "fan zone" set up in the capital Kyiv for the Euro 2012 soccer championship.

Several hundred opposition demonstrators marched down the hill to the city centre from parliament after the ruling Regions Party rushed through a vote which would upgrade the status of the Russian language in the country where Ukrainian is the state language.

The crowd trampled official UEFA boards underfoot as they tried to march into the capital’s Independence Square which is being transformed into a giant pedestrian ‘fan zone’ for the tournament Ukraine is jointly hosting the tournament with Poland.