EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton condemned the deaths and the escalating violence Wednesday, calling for a “genuine dialogue” between the government and the opposition.
“Another barrier has been crossed, a man has died, blood has been shed,” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski told reporters. “The root cause of what’s happening today is a departure from the European course.”
Riot police wearing black helmets and carrying shields advanced Wednesday morning and dismantled barricades at the front lines of protests, before retreating to earlier positions. The interior ministry said in a statement that they moved to seize “chemicals” that protesters were planning to use against officers.
Police detained some protesters and tore down barricades at the site outside a soccer stadium where demonstrators and police have faced off for three days.
Protesters fought back, throwing stones and launching fireworks, and returned to their positions behind burned-out buses.
Around midday, police charged again, tearing through barricades, scattering defenders and driving them back toward a square around 100 meters from the main protest camp. Police, backed by at least one armored vehicle, set up a new front line in front of the buses.