Ukraine riot police break up protest over alleged rape cover-up

Source: Reuters

Riot police dispersed a protest in central Kiev early on Friday over last month's rape of a woman who accused police officers of the crime, local media reported.

The city government had allowed the protest on Kiev's main square to be held on Thursday. But after some protesters set up tents to spend the night on the square, the authorities ordered them to leave and police arrived shortly afterwards, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported.

It said police in riot gear then started snatching people out of a crowd of about 150 and taking them away while protesters sang the national anthem and chanted "Glory to Ukraine, death to enemies".

Police detained about 10 people, according to Interfax news agency.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/19/ukraine-police-disperse-kiev-rape-protest

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Protesters from Vradiyevka and their supporters face off against riot police in Kiev's main square. Photograph: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA