Brawl Erupts In Ukraine Parliament Over Russian Language Bill

Opposition and pro-president deputies brawl in Ukraine's parliament, during debate on a hotly contested bill that seeks to accept Russian as an official language in the country.

Violent scuffles broke out in the Ukrainian Rada on Thursday as deputies debated the bill which would allow the official use of Russian language in certain parts of the country.

The brawl erupted between deputies loyal to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and lawmakers from pro-Western opposition parties, who want to preserve Ukraine's cultural and political independence from its powerful neighbour Russia.

The law being debated proposes to allow the use of Russian as an official language equal to Ukrainian in some civic institutions such as schools, hospitals and courts in regions where a Russian-speaking population is in the majority.

Opposition deputies consider the law as an attempt by Yanukovich's party to divide Ukrainians ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections in October and a threat to the existence of Ukrainian language.

Before the fight, deputies argued that the law would split the country.