KIEV, July 12 – Protesters stormed a police station in Kiev on Friday, breaking a fence and clashing with officers after the station had protected a policeman who had apparently beaten up a woman.

The attack on police station is the second such incident in less than two weeks after hundreds of protesters threw fire bombs and broke windows at a police station in Mykolayiv region.

The developments come amid spontaneous rallies and protests in different Ukrainian regions against police brutality. The recent rallies in six cities throughout the country to put pressure on Internal Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko to step down.

The marches also put growing pressure on President Viktor Yanukovych, who faces a re-election in March 2015 and any further protests throughout Ukraine would further reduce his rating.

The protesters stormed the police station after it had shielded the policeman who had allegedly hit a young woman at a marketplace in Sviatoshyno, a Kiev district, earlier on Friday.

The woman had apparently demanded the police officer speak Ukrainian, not Russian, at the marketplace.

Zakharchenko, attending injured police officers in hospital after the clash on Saturday, called for a quick investigation into the attack and what had caused it.

"We need to quickly and objectively establish all the circumstances of these events,” Zakharchenko said. “Who are these people who came to the police station?”

“Are these really unhappy traders from the marketplace or provocateurs that have been hired for the provocation?” he said.

Zakharchenko urged police to stay calm and to stay away from escalation.

"No political provocation should distract police from performing their basic functions,” Zakharchenko said. “These are the protection of life, health and fundamental rights of citizens and, of course, solving crimes."

Zakharchenko also appealed to protesters to stay away from further attacks on police.

"If you have any information about any illegal actions by police, you can always turn to the ministry of internal affairs with a report,” Zakharchenko said. “This is the duty of the ministry. I assure you that all applications will be reviewed.”

The protest began earlier this month in Vradiyivka, Mykolayov region, after allegations that two police officers and an accomplice raped a young woman and attempted to kill her.

The 29-year old victim, Irina Krashkova, survived the attack and disclosed the attack to reporters.

Police and local authorities first tried to cover up the case, but were forced to arrest the suspects last week as hundreds of residents in Vradiyivka stormed the local police station, throwing fire bombs and smashing windows. (tl/ez)