KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian supporters of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili freed him from a police van on Tuesday, after his detention sparked clashes with police in central Kiev, television pictures showed.

Georgian former President Mikheil Saakashvili flashes a victory sign after he was freed by his supporters in Kiev, Ukraine December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

“I urge you to start a peaceful protest to remove (President Petro) Poroshenko, you should not be afraid of anything,” Saakashvili told a crowd through a loudspeaker after he was hauled out of the vehicle despite resistance from police in riot gear.