KIEV, UKRAINE — In the most violent scenes since anti-government protests began in Ukraine more than two months ago, radical demonstrators clashed with riot police outside the cabinet building in central Kiev on Sunday, while thousands of onlookers cheered them on.
Donning helmets and masks, the group hurled fireworks and bricks at police, and seized at least three of their buses, burning one and ramming another into a police cordon.
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Police doused the buses that protesters set ablaze using hoses and a water cannon. Later, in sub-zero temperatures, they turned that water cannon on protesters in an attempt to push them back.

Police held their line, tossing flash grenades and tear gas into the crowd of protesters, who continued to hurl sticks and stones at them.
Medics dragged dozens of injured people to nearby ambulances, as smoke filled the streets. Most suffered injuries from tear gas and flying stones, according to medical personnel on the scene. Ukraine's Interior Ministry reported that 70 police officers required medical attention, with 10 sent to a nearby hospital for medical treatment, including four in serious condition.
Surreal out there tonight. Scenes like this... few words for them. #euromaidan #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/27DfDHTFe6 via @ukrpravda_news
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 19, 2014
Hours into the standoff, it was unclear how many protesters and police were hurt in total, and how long the fight would go on.
At one point, world champion boxer turned opposition leader Vitali Klitschko stepped in to try and calm the crowd, but was shouted down as a traitor and a “titushka,” a slang word used to describe pro-government thugs-for-hire, before being doused with fire-extinguisher foam.

Addressing Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych directly in a video shot shortly after, Klistchko pleaded for him to stop the “war against the people of Ukraine,” and remove riot police from the streets.
“The only way out of this is to change the government. We need new, snap elections,” Klistchko said. “Find the moral strength not to crush the people, the way of … [former Libyan leader Muammar] Gaddafi.”
The violent scene unfolded after tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied at Kiev's Independence Square, in defiance of sweeping new anti-protest laws pushed through parliament on Thursday by a simple hand count.
Under the laws, mass disruptions and blocking public or government buildings are offenses punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and driving in a motorcade of more than five vehicles can lead to steep fines or confiscation of vehicles. The laws also ban pitching tents, wearing masks and helmets, and using bullhorns and sound systems during public protests.
The mass Euromaidan demonstrations, as they are called, began in November after Yanukovych reneged on a long-anticipated deal with the European Union that would have deepened ties between the country and the 28-member bloc in favor of aligning more closely with Russia.
Protesters first spilled onto the streets on Nov. 21 in what was then a largely pro-European movement. But after several brutal attempts by police to squash the protests, the movement has since become more focused on democracy and human rights.
Dozens of activists and more than 50 journalists have been seriously injured over the course of the demonstrations. Former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko was bludgeoned by police, and received a concussion after he attempted to step in between them and angry protesters during a rally on Jan. 10.
Prominent investigative journalist and civil activist Tetyana Chornovol was chased in her car before being dragged out and beaten by a group of thugs on Dec. 24. She had several serious injuries to her head and face, which required reconstructive surgery, and was only released from the hospital this week.
Making her first appearance since the attack, Chornovol said on Sunday that she was certain her beating was due to her professional activities, and her investigation into a new mansion she alleges is being built for Yanukovych.
Chornovol showed photos of the building currently being constructed on the outskirts of Kiev to press on Sunday. “I think this house was why they attempted to kill me,” she said.
Journalist/activist Tetyana #Chornovol shows what she says is plan of new lavish estate of #Yanukovych outside #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/GjfOSmlmJv
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 19, 2014
Well after nightfall in Kiev, there was no end in sight to the clashes, as police brought in trucks full of reinforcements, and protesters hunkered down with riot-police shields that they managed to get from authorities. Stones and tear gas continued to fly both ways, as protesters tried to flip a police bus.
Just after 9 p.m. local time, the U.S. embassy in Kiev released a statement calling for an end to the ongoing violent confrontations between protesters and police. “We urge calm, and call on all sides to cease any acts provoking or resulting in violence,” the statement said.
“We further urge the Government of Ukraine to immediately start negotiations with all sides to resolve the political standoff, address protesters’ concerns and prevent violence from spreading. Violence only serves to foster fear and confusion, and distracts from the need for a political solution, which is the best way to carry out the will of the Ukrainian people.”
Around the same time, local media reported that Klitschko had managed to get into the heavily guarded presidential estate, where he hoped to speak with Yanukovych. Klitschko's spokesperson confirmed the reports.
Police said via the Interior Ministry website that they had opened a criminal case for mass public disorder. “The sanctions in the article [within new legislation passed on Jan. 16] anticipate punishment of a maximum 15 years in prison,” the statement said.
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Christopher J. Miller is an editor at English-language newspaper the Kyiv Post in Ukraine.