Ukrainian lawmakers brawl over Russian language bill

It looks like a bar room brawl, but it's in parliament. Watch raw vision of Ukrainian politicians in a punch-up over making Russian an official language.

• Ukraine lawmakers come to blows in parliament sitting
• Can't agree whether Russian should be the official second language
• See the chaos erupt in the video below

A UKRANIAN parliamentary debate on the increased use of the Russian language descended into chaos with dozens of lawmakers fighting - literally - over the bill.

Members of President Viktor Yanukovych's party brawled with opposition figures on Thursday over legislation that would expand the use of Russian to become Ukraine's de facto second national language.

Ukraine, a former Soviet state, has a large Russian-speaking community.

Yanukovych has pledged to make Russian the second language, but pro-Western opposition figures are against the move.

Video footage from parliament - which you can watch above - shows one lawmaker assailing the assembly speaker. About 10 other people can be seen punching at each other, and one man is restrained in a head lock.

At least one politician was taken to the hospital following the violence.

Several brawls have erupted in the Ukrainian parliament over the years, including one in 2010 that was widely televised and saw lawmakers throwing eggs at each other.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/newscomaumostpopularworldndm/~3/kUmV6sX66TY/story01.htm

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