A dramatic scene played out on the streets of Ukraine's capital as supporters of a prominent politician broke him out of police custody.
That man is Mikheil Saakashvili. He was once Georgia's president; in 2015, he was granted Ukrainian citizenship and became a regional governor there. But he clashed with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko after accusing him of corruption.
Security forces arrested Saakashvili in Kiev on Tuesday morning. But his supporters intervened, surrounding a police van and blocking its exit. The crowd then pulled him free from custody.
He told supporters: "I will lay down my life for the freedom of Ukraine and for its liberation from the hucksters and oligarchs. I want to encourage every citizen of Kiev to take to the streets today, to gather on Maidan [Square] and begin the process of ridding Ukraine of Poroshenko and his gang."
Ukrainian officials gave Saakashvili until 9 a.m. Wednesday to turn himself in.
