Protesters knocked down a statue of Vladimir Lenin on Sunday as outrage mounted over the Ukrainian government's push for closer ties with Russia. A crowd of cheering protesters chanted "Good job" after the statue fell in Kiev's Bessarabska Square. Some pounded the monument with hammers, leaving pieces of the statue scattered on the ground. Only parts of the Soviet hero's legs remained at the base. A man waving a Ukrainian flag stood atop the pedestal beside them. Police said they were investigating but did not know know who had toppled the monument. Ukraine's government news agency said a lawmaker with the nationalist Svoboda party claimed responsibility for the incident.
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"This is the end of Soviet occupation," nationalist party says
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The Communist Party says attacking the statue shows "hate, fear and destruction"
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Crowds chant "Good job" after statue of Soviet hero falls
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Kiev suspended talks with the European Union last month
In speeches at the rallies, protest leaders have called for the government's resignation, the release of protesters arrested during clashes in @placeholder, and the punishment of those responsible for using violence against demonstrators.