Ukraine: The barricades went up again yesterday in the Ukraine capital of Kiev as opposition protesters sealed off a government building to prevent Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich holding a cabinet meeting.
The blockade was ordered by President-elect Victor Yushchenko after Mr Yanukovich refused to accept defeat in Sunday's rerun presidential election.
More than 1,000 demonstrators clad in the familiar orange colour of the opposition blocked the main entrance to the Council of Ministers building, stopping ministers and staff from getting in.
Meanwhile, more protesters, who had camped on a hill across the road, kept up a day-long rhythm on improvised drums made from steel barrels.
The protest was led by the Una-Unso, an ultranationalist group with red and black banners, one of the clutch of paramilitary organisations - so far unarmed - which have emerged at the vanguard of what has been dubbed the Orange Revolution.
"Yanukovich was sacked by the parliament, he has no legal right to be Prime Minister or hold government meetings," said Yuri, a young protester who was not connected to Una-Unso.
He said protesters were worried that Mr Yanukovich would use the next two weeks prior to Mr Yushchenko being inaugurated as president to burn files and steal money from government coffers.
"We have to stay to the end, and we have to do this without blood, because all revolutions that see blood end up with totalitarianism," Yuri added.
Mr Yanukovich made no attempt to enter the building, later convening a cabinet meeting at an undisclosed location across the city, but the demonstration shows the dangerous chasm left after five weeks of protests.
Although Mr Yushchenko is the clear winner of the election, and although parliament has voted to sack the government, the sitting President, Mr Leonid Kuchma, has refused to sign the dismissal notice.
This leaves Mr Yanukovich - the man Mr Kuchma hoped would win the election - claiming he still runs the country.