A Russian parliament meeting degenerated into a brawl today as deputies used their fists to vent their fury at the outcome of a local election.
Parliament banned Vladimir Zhirinovsky, ultra-nationalist leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), from speaking at plenary meetings for a month for his part in the punch-up.
Mr Zhirinovsky is well-known for his brawls in the political arena. In 1995, he was shown on television grabbing a woman deputy by the neck and pulling her hair.
On other occasions he threw orange juice at a prominent liberal deputy and traded punches with liberal rivals in a pre-election television debate.
But parliament decided he had gone too far this time after his words with Rodina deputy Andrei Savelyev escalated into a chaotic scrap involving about 20 people.
"He said to me: 'I will kick your mug in,' and I said: 'Just try!"' Mr Savelyev said on state television, sporting a red graze on his forehead.
Mr Zhirinovsky denied that he had started the fight. "We didn't do anything. He hit us - the scoundrel," he said, referring to Mr Savelyev.
Parliamentary speaker Boris Gryzlov repeatedly called for order during the fighting, which was triggered by the LDPR's disgust at parliamentary election results from the Yamalo-Nenetskovo autonomous region in the Arctic.
Mr Zhirinovsky said LDPR election candidates had been intimidated and called for a review of the result and the resignation of the region's governor.