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REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili
A pro-European protester wears a gas mask during street violence in Kiev. New anti-protest laws ban "face concealments," leading protesters to deliberate disobey the law.
Since last November, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have gathered and marched through the streets of Kiev to protest President Viktor Yanukovych's rejection of trade agreements with the European Union, and a subsequent move towards a deal with Russia.
The protests, known now as the Euromaidan protests, exploded into a full blown riot over the past several days, after new anti-protest laws were signed into effect by the president. The "dictatorship laws" have spurred more than 10,000 Ukrainians to protest violently around Parliament and Dynamo Stadium, burning buses and tires and launching projectiles at authorities. The police have responded in kind. 
Ukrainian police forces have begun firing rubber bullets at protesters, beating them with batons, and throwing Molotov cocktails. So far, four people are reportedly dead. One was shot four times and another once in the heart by the police. 
Rioters agreed to a truce earlier today, so that the opposition could negotiate with President Yanukovych. The pictures below show the wild, almost apocalyptic conflict that has erupted in the Ukrainian capital. These are just a few scenes of the terror:  
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REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
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REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
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AP Photo/Sergei Grits
A protester throws tires onto a fire during a clash with police. Thick black smoke from burning tires engulfed parts of downtown Kiev.
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AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov
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REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Pro-European integration protesters gather in front of burning tires during clashes with riot police.
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REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Pro-European integration protesters use a big slingshot during clashes with riot police.
And here is a bit of what's been going viral on Twitter:














And finally this one, which sums up the battle in the most absurd of ways — cops want memories.