(CNN) -- Demonstrators pack public squares. Flames shoot into the air. Tear gas sends crowds scrambling. Bodies are carried from the streets.
Dramatic scenes are unfolding during anti-government protests in three disparate countries this week, on three different continents.
The images are striking, and things are heating up quickly. What's happening on the ground?
Here's a cheat-sheet guide to the protests in Ukraine, Venezuela and Thailand:
UKRAINE
What are the protesters' demands?
Who's a better economic ally, Europe or Russia? That's the key issue at the heart of Ukraine's protests.Demonstrators want the government to forge closer ties with Europe and turn away from Russia.
But the dispute is also about power. Many in the opposition have called for the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych and the ordering of new elections. And both on the streets and in parliament, they've also pushed to alter the government's overall power structure, feeling that too much of it rests with Yanukovych and not enough with parliament.
Who's protesting?
An opposition coalition has been leading the charge against Yanukovych and his allies.
On CNN iReport, protesters and onlookers have shared more than 100 photos and videos of clashes between demonstrators and police. The nighttime images are especially striking -- figures aresilhouetted against large bonfires set alight in the streets.
When did the demonstrations start?
In November, thousands spilled onto the streets after Yanukovych did a U-turn over a trade pact with the European Union that had been years in the making -- with Yanukovych favoring closer relations with Russia instead.
What's the latest?
Read the article at CNN: http://ow.ly/tS8Lq
Photo courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography
