Critical Observer

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<h5 class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #404040; line-height: 1.375;">One national guard member has been killed and over 100 injured in violent protests outside Ukraine's parliament, the interior ministry said. </span><span style="color: #404040; line-height: 1.375;">Clashes between nationalists and riot police erupted after MPs gave initial backing to reforms for more autonomy in the rebel-held east.</span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some in the crowd lobbed what police said were live grenades at office</span>rs protecting parliament.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The reforms are part of a peace plan to end fighting in eastern Ukraine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, said the violence was "a stab in the back".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Protesters led by the populist Radical Party and the ultra-nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party - who oppose any concession to the Russian-backed separatists - gathered outside parliament early on Monday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a rowdy debate, 265 MPs out of 450 backed the first reading of the decentralisation bill, granting more powers to areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Initially, there were only minor clashes but a BBC correspondent then heard small explosions followed by a much larger one - apparently from a grenade.</span></div>
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.640625px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Smoke outside Ukraine parliament (31 August)" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/11524/production/_85284907_ukraine.jpg" height="549" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/11524/production/_85284907_ukraine.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203125px;" width="976" /></span><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image caption</span></span><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A missile was hurled at the ranks of riot police standing between the protesters and parliament</span></span></figcaption></figure><hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 16px;" />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">'Pools of blood': Svyatoslav Khomenko, BBC News, Kiev</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The demonstrators numbered barely more than a few dozen - mainly young men, most of them masked. They started the fights with police, but others supported them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The protesters tried to pull the policemen away from their lines. They beat them and took their shields and helmets. Soon about a dozen young men were almost as well-equipped as the police.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Several times the atmosphere near the building seemed to calm down for a while, with clashes starting up again. And then the explosions began.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw some people - policemen and firemen - falling to the ground, and some running away from the site, limping. I saw pools of blood just near the wall of parliament.</span></div>
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<a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34107489" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Violent clashes outside Kiev's parliament</span></a></div>
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<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.640625px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="National guardsman in Kiev" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/3A0A/production/_85285841_img_0162.jpg" height="549" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/3A0A/production/_85285841_img_0162.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203125px;" width="976" /></span><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image caption</span></span><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The number of wounded quickly climbed as security forces tried to hold the protesters back</span></span></figcaption></figure><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Ukrainian Interior Minister, Arsen Avakov, said some 30 people have been detained, including a Svoboda member who confessed to throwing a grenade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of the 122 people hospitalised, more than 11 were in a critical condition, the minister added.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He bitterly criticised Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok, <a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://www.facebook.com/arsen.avakov.1?fref=ts" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">writing on Facebook </a>that several explosive devices had been thrown by people wearing Svoboda T-shirts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A policeman's leg was torn off below the knee in the blast, Interfax Ukraine reported, while journalists at the scene were also reported injured.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Shaky peace</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Almost 7,000 people have died since the conflict in eastern Ukraine broke out in March 2014, after Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pushing through greater autonomy for the rebel-held areas is a key part of the Minsk peace deal, originally signed in February.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">During the summer, fighting between Ukrainian army forces and the rebels has escalated. But the two sides agreed last week to halt the violence on 1 September, the day children in the region return to school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although the number of ceasefire violations appears to have fallen in recent days, OSCE monitors have warned that neither side was respecting the truce.</span></div>
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.640625px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Smoke bomb hurled at national guard (31 August)" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/882A/production/_85285843_028795863-1.jpg" height="549" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/882A/production/_85285843_028795863-1.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203125px;" width="976" /></span><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image caption</span></span><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Firecrackers and petrol bombs were hurled at the lines of national guardsmen</span></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.640625px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="National guardsman being moved to safety" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/14792/production/_85285838_img_0165.jpg" height="549" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/14792/production/_85285838_img_0165.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203125px;" width="976" /></span><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image caption</span></span><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Colleagues helped take wounded national guardsmen to safety</span></span></figcaption></figure><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Under the draft constitutional changes going through parliament, there will be a special law covering local government in rebel-held areas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, parliament speaker Volodymyr Hroysman was adamant that would not mean special status for Donetsk and Luhansk, which rebel leaders have declared republics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a national address late on Monday, President Poroshenko said if the proposals had been voted down, Ukraine would have been left "one-to-one against the aggressor".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The reforms must still pass a second reading, which correspondents say will be a tall order for the Ukrainian leader.</span></div>
<figure class="media-landscape no-caption full-width" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.640625px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="map" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/5D8C/production/_85284932_ukraine_rebel_held_areas_25_08_2015_624map.png" height="446" src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/5D8C/production/_85284932_ukraine_rebel_held_areas_25_08_2015_624map.png" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203125px;" width="624" /></span><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">Article Source: BBC News</span></figure><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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UKRAINE CRISIS: NEW DEADLY PROTESTS OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT

One national guard member has been killed and over 100 injured in violent protests outside Ukraine's parliament, the interior ministr...

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