David Stern reports from the scene of the protests in Kiev
Clashes
have broken out in the Ukrainian capital as tens of thousands of
demonstrators rallied despite new laws which aim to curb public
protests.
Opposition politician Vitali Klitschko called for calm as
pro-EU protesters, some with sticks and rocks, made for parliament
despite police cordons.
The laws were passed with a quick show of hands on Thursday by MPs loyal to President Viktor Yanukovych.
The opposition accused the ruling party of a coup.
The president signed the bills into law soon afterwards.
US and EU officials have expressed deep concern at the new legislation.
Ukraine's current anti-government movement began in protest
at Mr Yanukovych's decision in late November to pull out of a landmark
treaty with the EU, but has expanded to demand his resignation.
Action plan demand
Sunday's rally began peacefully after scuffles the previous day between pro-EU protesters and Yanukovych supporters in the city.
However, clashes erupted as demonstrators heading for
parliament encountered cordons set up by police. Live TV pictures showed
them attempting to overturn a bus commandeered by the police.
BBC Kiev correspondent David Stern said police fired stun
grenades to clear the area and demonstrators responded with cries of
"Shame!"
He described the situation as very combustible.
Some in the crowd of protesters attacked buses being used by the police as cordons
Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko (centre), who called for calm, was sprayed with a powder fire extinguisher
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk (second from left) was among those taking the stage
Earlier the rally on the main square heard a call from a former
Ukrainian navy chief for members of the armed forces to defy "illegal"
orders from those in power, Unian news agency reported.
Rear Adm Ihor Tenyukh, who was sacked by President Yanukovych
in 2010, warned of the dangers posed by the "coup d'etat planned by the
current authorities".
"Tomorrow the regime will enslave you too. Therefore we are
calling on you to fulfil your military oath of loyalty to the Ukrainian
people and not to the authorities who have gone off the rails," he was
quoted as saying.
Opposition leaders are under huge pressure to come up with an
action plan, amid criticism from many activists that their campaign has
been too passive.
Some demonstrators wore masks, also in defiance of the new law
Kiev has seen protest rallies every Sunday for two months
The protesters have been camping out behind extensive
barricades on the Euromaidan, as Independence Square has been dubbed,
for nearly two months.
The mass demonstrations were initially triggered by President
Yanukovych's last-minute rejection of an EU deal under heavy pressure
from Russia in November.
The protesters' demands later widened to include the fight
against what they said was widespread government corruption and abuse of
power.