Scores of police injured by grenade at Ukraine protest after parliament grants more autonomy to separatists
Grenade wounds dozens of police and national guard members as tensions rise over controversial reform vote
At least 90 people, mainly police, were wounded in fierce clashes outside the Ukrainian parliament on Monday as lawmakers gave initial backing to deeply controversial reforms granting more autonomy to pro-Russian separatists.
Ukraine’s parliament voted on Monday for constitutional changes to give separatist-minded eastern regions a special status - but divisions in the pro-Western camp and violent street protests suggested the changes would face a rougher ride to become law.
At least 90 members of the police and national guard were injured – four seriously – when a grenade was lobbed from a crowd of nationalists demonstrating outside parliament against the “decentralisation” draft law that President Petro Poroshenko and his government are pushing as part of a blueprint to end separatist rebellion in the east.
Ukraine’s national guard said about 50 of its members were hurt, including four with serious wounds, by the blast.
At a boisterous session, with many deputies shouting “shame” and rhythmically beating parliamentary benches, a total of 265 deputies voted in favour of the first reading of the bill, 39 more than that required to pass.