The far-right in Ukraine are acting as the vanguard of a protest movement that is being reported as pro-democracy. The situation on the ground is not as simple as pro-EU and trade versus pro-Putin and Russian hegemony in the region.

When US Senator John McCain dined with Ukraine's opposition leaders in December, he shared a table and later a stage with the leader of the extreme far-right Svoboda party Oleh Tyahnybok.

This is Oleh Tyahnybok, he has claimed a "Moscow-Jewish mafia" rule Ukraine and that "Germans, Kikes and other scum" want to "take away our Ukrainian state."

This is the party's logo, it can be seen on flag throughout the crowds in Kiev every day.

Svoboda is Ukraine’s fourth biggest party holding 36 seats out of 450 in parliament. They're also part of the Alliance of European National Movements along with the BNP and Jobbik.

This is their old logo, a Wolfsangel rune, a common symbol for European neo-Nazi organizations.

It was also the symbol of the Patriots of Ukraine, a paramilitary organisation Svoboda went hand in hand with until 2004.

A typical crowd shot of Kiev's protests, Svoboda and their fellow travellers have been present throughout the protests.

Here we see a battalion of Patriots of Ukraine paramilitaries tooled up in the midst of the protests.

Pro-EU protesters took over the town hall, we learned from international news reports in December, demanding the government resign.

While it is a broad movement, mainly of the right, it's hard to see a BNP or Golden Dawn led takeover of a town hall getting quite the same publicity.

Here a white power flag takes pride of place centre stage, black circle with a plus sign through it. You can always check the top of stormfront.org if you don't buy it.

Here protesters clash with riot police, one carries a homemade shield painted with a white power symbol and the numbers 14 and 88.

These numbers are common neo-Nazi slogans;with 14 standing for David Lane's slogan (We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children) and 88 as code for HH, or Heil Hitler.

Patriots burn flags, while white power flags are flown throughout the crowd. In almost every action shot from these protests far-right symbols are clearly visible.

National socialist group Wotan Jugend has described the experience they are gaining from the protests; "Leaderless resistance What is happening now in Kiev - is a lesson, a lesson to all those who so eagerly watching national revolution taking place in Ukraine, blowing drool with envy at the keyboard."

Originally posted on imgur.com