Skirmishes with riot police have failed to dislodge thousands of protesters from downtown Kyiv -- and so has harsh winter weather. Here are scenes from the heart of the protests late on December 9 as snow fell on activists demonstrating against the government of President Viktor Yanukovych and in favor of closer ties with the EU. (10 PHOTOS)
Snow-Covered Protests In Kyiv
![A demonstrator holds a Ukrainian flag as he stands next to Interior Ministry personnel in central Kyiv late on December 9.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0f174752-db2f-48d7-bd8b-54a72f53f066_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A demonstrator holds a Ukrainian flag as he stands next to Interior Ministry personnel in central Kyiv late on December 9.
![Boxing champion and leader of the UDAR (Punch) political party Vitali Klitschko is seen behind a line of riot police near the office of the president.](https://gdb.rferl.org/6b71043f-479f-4bef-832a-95410788a037_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Boxing champion and leader of the UDAR (Punch) political party Vitali Klitschko is seen behind a line of riot police near the office of the president.
![Interior Ministry troops block protesters on a city street.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2a5eb330-3f5c-4c22-8cba-c4e19667388c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Interior Ministry troops block protesters on a city street.
![A priest speaks to protesters in front of a police line.](https://gdb.rferl.org/900a52be-5e40-4e10-b923-fdc42abe3c7e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A priest speaks to protesters in front of a police line.
![Pro-EU Ukrainian protesters face off with security forces.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3171da30-c667-4c19-945c-c96416964756_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pro-EU Ukrainian protesters face off with security forces.
![Protesters face riot police trying to disperse the crowds in front of government buildings in Kyiv.](https://gdb.rferl.org/feee5695-a7d8-448b-b7a1-1980001c841b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Protesters face riot police trying to disperse the crowds in front of government buildings in Kyiv.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/de3a8ad8-a303-4a5a-836e-60760c2a2a4d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![Riot police move in to to disperse people near the Cabinet of Ministers building, where thousands of demonstrators continued to demand the Ukrainian government's resignation.](https://gdb.rferl.org/18fd3e6f-454e-4dbb-949e-992aac9f0c73_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Riot police move in to to disperse people near the Cabinet of Ministers building, where thousands of demonstrators continued to demand the Ukrainian government's resignation.
![Children play in the snow as riot police move to block protests near the presidential administration building.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0d38bb85-a1c0-44e3-85c8-b872a6558364_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Children play in the snow as riot police move to block protests near the presidential administration building.