Kiev Streets Are Literally On Fire As Massive Protests Continue In Ukraine
While anti-government protests have been ongoing since late November - due to President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to pull out of a treaty with the EU - it has gotten much more heated in recent days, with two activists killed on Wednesday, BBC reports.
Interestingly, the protests have gotten much worse after new laws went into effect on Tuesday that ban nearly all forms of protest in the country, AFP reports.
As BI's Harrison Jacobs notes:
The root of the current situation lies not in corruption but policy, as the president has moved toward a deal with Putin and Russia, in place of the European Union agreement. The protesters want Ukraine to be a part of the European Union. The Russia deal moves them further away from that.
There have already seen some incredible photos of just how large the protests have become. As these live streams show, nightfall doesn't seem to slow them down.
You can watch the live stream right now at UStream.
Here's a wider angle:
