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Poroshenko says all organizers of riots near Verkhovna Rada will be severely punished

Earlier on Monday, more than 3,000 opponents of amending the Ukrainian Constitution from various regions picketed the parliament building

KIEV, August 31. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that all organizers of riots near the Verkhovna Rad building will be punished heavily.

"Today I had a meeting with law enforcers, clear tasks to investigate these events were given. And all the perpetrators, organizers, all political forces will be punished heavily," he said in the address regarding Monday’s vote in parliament on the constitutional amendments.

Earlier on Monday, more than 3,000 opponents of amending the Ukrainian Constitution from various regions picketed the parliament building, where the voting was underway on the draft amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution. Then an unknown protester from the crowd threw a grenade at the police cordon near the parliament building.

According to the Interior Ministry, 122 people were injured in the clashes near Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, more than 10 police officers are in grave condition, a National Guard fighter was killed.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov accused the Svoboda (Freedom) political party and its leader Oleg Tyagnibok of this outbreak of violence.