Punches thrown, blood spilled: When politicians fight

Scuffles in South Africa.

Violent scuffles erupted in South Africa's parliament on Thursday when members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party fought with security officers as they were ejected from the chamber for interrupting President Jacob Zuma's state of the nation speech.

The opposition MPs called Zuma a "scoundrel" and "rotten to the core" because of corruption allegations.

The brawl began when EFF members were being forcibly removed from the chamber by security guards. The raucous scene unfolded on national television as opposition legislators tried to stop Zuma from addressing the chamber, repeatedly insulting the president and declaring him unfit for office.

This wasn't a first for South Africa.

A man throws a fire extinguisher atsecurity guards behind a closed door after members of the EFF were evicted from Parliament in Cape Town in May, 2016.

Tusslesin Turkey.

Turkey's ruling AK Party (AKP) lawmaker Muhittin Aksak, right,and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Mahmut Tanal scuffle during a parliamentary debatein Ankara in February2012.

Turkish member of parliament Ali Ihsan Kokturk's nose bleeds after a brawl broke out during a debate on a draft law in 2014.

A skirmish in Somalia.

Members of the Somali parliament fight after a majority voted against the speaker of the parliament in southern Mogadishu, December 2011.

Squabbles in South Korea.

Opposition legislators help their colleague escape a meleeat the National Assembly plenary session hall in Seoul in December 2010. Brawls between South Korean lawmakers broke out amid debates over the country's 2011 budget.

Here, parliamentary security guards take a tumble during a scuffle with South Korean legislators over a U.S. trade deal in 2009.

A tiff in Taiwan.

Lawmakers in Taiwan threw objects, splashed water and kicked one another during a 2010 debate overhow fast to ratify a trade pact with China,sending two people to the hospital.

Clashes in Kiev.

Skirmishes and bouts of violence have erupted on several occasionsin Ukrainian Parliament. Below, opposition membersthrowbuckwheat a symbol of bribing voters at newly elected deputy Viktor Pylypyshyn as he takeshis oath in January 2014.

Forget the buckwheat! Here, deputies throw punches during a parliamentary session in Kiev in April 2014.

A Ukrainian deputy removes then-prime ministerArseny Yatseniuk from the tribune, after presenting him with a bouquet of roses during a parliament session in December 2015.

Hostility in Hong Kong.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung throws an object at Hong Kong's Financial Secretary John Tsang (not pictured) to demand a universal retirement protection scheme during the annual budget report in February2015.