RIOTS IN DOWNTOWN KYIV – ongoing updates.

Large groups of Maidan activists walked in a procession to the Verkhovna Rada [Parliament], demanding reinstatement of the 2004 version of the Ukrainian Constitution. The area was surrounded by law enforcement. The situation escalated fast.

Right now, clashes continue between protesters and law enforcement, aided by titushkas [hired thugs]. The police used traumatic weapons and stun grenades. As of 15-30, Kyiv time, several protesters are dead, dozens injured. The situation continues to escalate.

Earlier updates:

– Events of the Morning 08:55-11:00

Events of the late morning:

Tuesday, February 18, 2014, 07:24
Sources: Twitter, EuroMaidanPR, Ukrainian Pravda

18.02.2014 12:01 _ Valery Kalnysh:
Shovkovychna Street right now.

18.02.2014 12:01

Oleksandr Brygynets @bryhynets
He spoke of the People’s Deputy. They say that Yanukovych PMS and they are afraid to call and tell him about the situation.
Some deputies on the streets of Maidan residents part – in the hall … Unfortunately, my group fell maintain room, though I soul on the street team

18.02.2014 11:58
 Iryna Gerashchenko

The Regionals are out of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) facilities, their vassals – the commies fled after them, straight cross-handed. And the commies – the women following after them. But part of the faction of commies, the opposition blocked in the hall.

02/18/2014 11:54 _ Anastasia Bereza:
At the bottom of Hrushevskiy St. they are beating sticks on iron and singing the anthem.
Further down Hrushevskiy near the Dinamo stadium they have lit fires with three tires, protesters are beating sticks against steel, singing the anthem and shouting out “bandits, away!”
The mood is combative, journalists are being kept from the front lines, and they explain that it is solely for the purpose of security. Most of Hrushevskiy St. is in smoke, one cannot pass through it because it is closed.

18.02.2014 11:54

 Lesya Orobets ‏@LesyaOrobets

From the offices they just carried out a trophy flag and another symbolic object and Yankovych’s portrait. I can imagine what they will now do with it ;).

11:53 Militia reports on the seven victims of security forces.

11:49 The Rada session hasn’t started yet. The opposition blocks the platform.

11:44
Klitschko: Parliament should form a new government, the opposition is ready to take responsibility for its formation.
Kyiv, February 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – UDAR faction leader Vitali Klitschko has called on Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to “give an instruction” to the parliament to vote for a resolution on the return to the 2004 Constitution and said that the opposition is ready to take responsibility for the formation of a new government.
“I am appealing to the Ukrainian president: please remove the Berkut and Interior Troops from the streets and give an instruction to parliament – it must vote and support an act on returning to the 2004 Constitution,” he said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
Klitschko said that the president as a responsible politician should announce early presidential and parliamentary elections. He said that such actions “will reduce the temperature” in society.
He said that the opposition was ready to take responsibility for the formation of a government.
“The parliament should form a new government, and we, as the opposition, are ready to take responsibility for its formation,” Klitschko said.18.02.2014 11:43
civicua Public Space
Shovkovichna St.

Euromaidanpr
The building of the Party of Regions on Lypska Str. has been set on fire by a Molotov cocktail. An office had started burning.

At 11:40 GMT+2 the fire was extinguished, people were standing next to the building. At 11:53 the people attempted to enter the PoR office. At 12:11 oppositional MP Lesya Orobets notified on FB that the “protesters have entered the building and have started to extinguish the fire on the first floor. They have occupied the basement with Regionals’ parking spaces. Documents are being carried out from the building. A part of them is burned, a part is stacked for further examination.”
At 12:21 the Berkut on Lypska St. has started attacking. The ones in front are armed with rifles with rubber projectiles. Right after them are titushki (governemnt sponsored thugs) with metal pipes. Berkut is chasing people, capturing some of them. The activists have retreated to Insitutska Street.
Source: pravda.com.ua http://goo.gl/NnRyW5

02/18/2014 11:40 _ Oksana Denisova, UP:
At 11.35 the protesters demolished tires on Shovkovychna Street and try to set fire to smoke, preventing snipers from firing on the people.
However, the wind carried the smoke in the opposite direction.
4 snipers continue to shoot at people from rooftops and throw grenades at activists.

18.02.2014 11:32 _ Oleksandr Arhat ‏@olarhat:
Attacking the offices of the Party of Regions. Firehoses pointed that way.

11:30
The barricades are on fire again on Hrushevskiy Street: The Maidan’s “Peaceful Advance” on the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, didn’t stay peaceful for long. There is fighting on the crossroads of Institutska Street and Shovkovychna Street, not far from the parliament building.

18.02.2014 11:29 _ Маrk Markov
Right now on Institutska Street:

 Geoffrey Pyatt ‏@GeoffPyatt

18.02.2014 11:26 _ Ukrainian Pravda:
In order to disperse the people, Berkut is throwing light and noise grenades at them non-stop.
You can also hear gunshots. The protesters retreated from the border about 10 yards. From time to time, small groups of young people in equipped outfits, throw stones at security forces. Grenades explode directly in the cleared part.

18.02.2014 11:25 _ The Avramchuk Post:
Protesters broke the doors of the Party of Regions outside Lipsky

18.02.2014 11:23 _ Googlist ‏@piskovyy:
The assault was an attempt by Berkut, which failed. They were stoned. Surprisingly, people were not fleeing, but instead went on the offensive (women as well)

18.02.2014 11:21  ЄвроМайдан – EuroMaydan:
The Parliament is locked in on all sides, they are burning cars, fireworks are flying, noise grenades. Titushky are standing scared, with their backs pressed against the Parliament’s fence.
In the Council, everyone is locked in, together with MPs and journalists and the entire staff. When and under what circumstances we manage to get out of here – is unknown.
Photo by Anna Hrabarskoyi:

02/18/2014 11:19  Alexander Aronets:
Video as a Berkut on the roof is throwing grenades and firing

18.02.2014 11:18
Ukrainian Truth @ ukrpravda_news
Clashes began in Mariinsky Park http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/02/18/7014229/ …
From the stage you hear a PR soviet song “Rise, Vast Country”

18.02.2014 11:16  Vitaly Uman:
Activists broke into the house, from its roof, Berkut threw flash-bang grenades into the crowd. At the entrance they began fighting.

 Volodymyr Viatrovych
The first injured…

18.02.2014 11:12
 Olexander Aronets
Berkut on the roof of Shovkovych is throwing grenades at the crowd!

18.02.2014 11:11
  Lesya Orobets
Cops have pump-action rifles and are opening fire.

18.02.2014 11:09
Tetiana Danylenko ‏@tdanylenko
On Shovkovychna St. a fire engine has driven up. They are already lifting the ladders. Thick, black smoke is pouring out. [A truck is burning].

  Volodymyr Viatrovych
Fight started at Mariinsky Park.

18.02.2014 11:07
 Віктор Чумак
On paranoia 2 …

Returned to Rybak’s office. He is white, but refuses to give the command to register the resolution.
Novinsky screams that we brought the people out to us and is our full responsibility … my answer to him, Rybak and Ephraim was simple: it’s you who brought the people out [into the streets], it’s you that steal industries, bargain ships, these are your cops who beat people and make little of crime, these are ‘students’ of yours who destroy the peace, it is your unjust courts who make unlawful decisions, it is your prosecutor who puts pressure on all the people … And do you think that people are willing to take it?
Rybak is calling his boss …
Something has already begun to register …
If not – there is no sense in parliament .. we start counting down 30 days ….

18.02.2014 11:06
Googlist ‏@piskovyy      Cameras with Googlist ‏@piskovyy      Cameras with a closer view:

11:00
Protesters gain accessed to the cab of one of the trucks blocking the south end of Hrushevskiy Street in Kiyv, and move it out of position from in front of the police line. The smoke is exhaust fumes from the truck.

Continued here: Events of the Afternoon 12:01-12:45