Ukrainian MPs Fight over Russian Language

A violent scuffle erupted in Ukraine's parliament Thursday evening over a bill that would allow the use of the Russian language in courts, hospitals and other institutions in the Russian-speaking regions of the country. The fight broke out between members of the pro-Western opposition, who want to take Ukraine out of Russia's shadow, and lawmakers from President Viktor Yanukovych's party, which bases its support in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east. Ukraine is deeply divided into the Russian-speaking east and south, which favors close ties with Moscow, and the Ukrainian-speaking west, which wants Ukraine to join the Western club. Under the Ukrainian constitution, Ukrainian is the only official state language in Ukraine. Before he was elected in 2010, President Viktor Yanukovych promised to make Russian the other official language but then did not achieve the required majority in parliament to get the bill through.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/fight-ukraine-parliament-language-bill-16423603
http://en.rian.ru/society/20120524/173657981.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm_sU5m6N08 (video)