Violent clashes have erupted during anti-government protests in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, with at least nine people,

including two policemen, dead.
In the worst violence in weeks, police used rubber bullets and stun grenades as thousands of protesters marching

on parliament.
A deadline set by the security forces for the violence to end has passed with no immediate sign of police action.
The clashes came as MPs were due to debate changes to the constitution.
The proposals would curb the powers of President Viktor Yanukovych, but the opposition say they were blocked

from submitting their draft, meaning no debate could take place.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she was "deeply worried" by the escalation of violence, and urged

politicians to "address the root causes". Russia blamed the upsurge in violence on "connivance by Western

politicians and European structures" and their refusal to consider the "aggressive actions" of radical factions within

the protest movement.
Officer shot dead
Ukraine's unrest began in November, when Mr 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 and the opposition - which

insists the president must resign - had warned the government it risked inflaming tensions if it failed to act. On

Tuesday, thousands of protesters tried to march on the parliament building to put pressure on the government to

address constitutional reform. But the march was blocked by lines of police vehicles.
The BBC's David Stern in Kiev says it is unclear what sparked the clashes - protesters and police have blamed each

other.
Unlike in previous weeks, violence took place in a number of locations, our correspondent adds.
Some protesters ripped up cobblestones to throw at police. Others threw smoke bombs. Police fired stun and

smoke grenades, and rubber bullets.
Protesters also attacked the headquarters of President Yanukovych's Party of the Regions, temporarily smashing

their way in and setting it on fire before being forced out by police.
One person - believed to be an employee - was found dead inside.
The bodies of three protesters were found inside a building close to parliament. Another three bodies were seen

lying in the street. The interior ministry said two policemen had died of gunshot wounds. Dozens of protesters and

security personnel are also reported to have been injured. The heads of the security services and internal affairs

ministry gave the protesters a deadline of 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) to put an end to the clashes, warning they

would "use all the possible methods" to end it. The entire Kiev metro has been shut down, and police have

converged on the edges of Independence Square, the site of the main protest camp since November. Protest leader

Vitaly Klitschko urged women and children to leave the square, saying they could not "exclude the possibility of

use of force". But the deadline came and went with no apparent sign of security force action.

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