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| Ukraine police storm main Kiev protest camp | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ukrainian police are storming the main anti-government protest camp in the capital, Kiev. | |
| Loud explosions are taking place, fireworks are being thrown and water cannon have been deployed. | |
| During the day, at least nine people were killed, including two policemen, as protesters and security forces clashed in the worst violence in weeks. | |
| Security forces had earlier given protesters a deadline of 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) to end the unrest. | |
| Police had surrounded Independence Square - known locally as the Maidan - which has been the scene of a mostly peaceful protest camp since November. | |
| The city's metro service was suspended, and there were reports cars were being prevented from coming in to the capital. | |
| Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk had insisted the protest camp would "not retreat a single step from here, from this Maidan". | |
| "We have nowhere to retreat to, Ukraine is behind us, and Ukraine's future is ahead of us. No fear, only faith in our strength, only solidarity and unity, only mutual support." | |
| Protest leader Vitaly Klitschko had urged women and children to leave the square, saying he could not "exclude the possibility of use of force". | |
| Shortly before 18:00 GMT, police announced over loudspeakers that they were about to begin "an anti-terror operation". | |
| Then they began firing water cannon at protesters and advancing with an armoured vehicle. Protesters lit fires and appeared to be throwing fireworks. | |
| Thousands of people are in the square, which is close to Ukraine's parliament building. | |
| March blocked | |
| Ukraine's unrest began in November, when President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia. | |
| The mood had calmed in recent days, but protest camps remain on the streets. The opposition - which insists the president must resign - had warned the government it risked inflaming tensions if it failed to respond. | |
| Earlier on Tuesday, police had blocked protesters from marching on parliament, where MPs had been due to debate proposed changes to the constitution which would have reduced the powers of President Yanukoyvch. | |
| The debate did not take place. | |
| Mr Yatsenyuk said President Yanukovych was blocking the reforms and that his allies "show no desire whatsoever to end the political crisis". | |
| MPs who support the president say the proposals have not been thoroughly discussed, and that more time is needed. |