Ukraine: Members of parliament clash in the parliament

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Ukraine: Members of parliament clash in the parliament

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17 December,2010 07:57 am

Dozens members of parliament from the Party of Regions supporting Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich clashed with opposition deputies on Thursday evening in an effort to put an end to the opposition protest which was halting Parliamentary sessions.Earlier on Thursday, opposition deputies brought proceedings to a halt inside the parliament when they staged an action to support Yulia Tymoshenko who said that she was been unfairly targeted in a criminal probe. Deputies blocked the podium to demonstrate in support of former Prime Minister Tymoshenko, who leads the opposition faction 'Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko' (BYT). Tymoshenko supporters hung banners reading 'End Political Repression against Tymoshenko' and 'Hands Off Tymoshenko' around the assembly hall. Members of the pro-Yanukovich Party of Regions entered the hall on Thursday evening and tried to force the opposition deputies out of the parliament hall. The fight ended up with several people injured and reportedly taken to hospital. Tymoshenko's supporters have described the audit as an attempt to intimidate the opposition. She said the state prosecutors had summoned her for another round of questioning on 20th December.