20 Incredible Images of Massive Protests in Ukraine

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By Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai2013-12-04 23:10:49 UTC

Over the last few days, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have swarmed the streets of Kiev and other cities to protest against the government's decision to back away from a deal with the European Union on Nov. 21. The deal would have established political and free trade agreements between the EU and the Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, and it faced strong opposition from Russia.

The decision by Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych spurred pro-European protesters to take to the streets, and the movement has gained steam by the day. On Nov. 24, estimates put 100,000 people in the streets. By Tuesday, that number had swelled to 1 million, according to The New York Times.

Initially, the protesters demanded the president reverse his decision but, after he refused to do so, they began asking for his resignation. The movement has been joined by Ukraine's top boxer, Vitali Klitschko, who's now eyeing the presidency.

Below, we've collected some of the most compelling images coming out of the protests.