- Title: Protesters stream into Quito as opposition to government widens
- Date: 8th October 2019
- Summary: QUITO, ECUADOR (OCTOBER 7, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS AROUND FIRE ON STREET PROTESTERS SEEN AT INTERSECTION WITH FIRE IN STREET FIRE AND PROTESTERS SEVERAL FIRES ON STREET WITH SMOKE RISING PROTESTERS RUNNING / THROWING OBJECTS CROWD OF PROTESTERS VARIOUS, LARGE CROWD OF PROTESTERS ON STREET, WAVING ECUADORIAN FLAGS VARIOUS, PEOPLE AFFILIATED WITH INDIGENOUS MOVEMENTS ARRIVING IN CITY ON TRUCKS ECUADORIAN FLAG WAVING VARIOUS, PEOPLE ON STREET BY FIRE SMOKE WAFTING OVER STREET VARIOUS, PROTESTERS MARCHING
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2019 02:25
- Keywords: Ecuador protests fire roadblocks Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno violence clashes
- Location: QUITO, ECUADOR
- City: QUITO, ECUADOR
- Country: Ecuador
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B08JOSN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of indigenous protesters marched into the capital Quito on Monday (October 7) in a fifth day of action against government austerity measures that have sparked the worst unrest in years, resulting in 477 arrests.
Fires blazed on the streets of the Andean capital and protesters clashed with police as the indigenous groups arrived in the city.
As they entered Quito's southern limits on foot, in trucks and on motorbikes, roughly 7,000 indigenous protesters were applauded and embraced by residents of the capital, who gave them food and water, according to Reuters witnesses.
The umbrella indigenous organization CONAIE said demonstrations would continue until President Lenin Moreno withdraws last week's measure to eliminate fuel subsidies. The mobilization would coincide with a national strike planned for Wednesday (October 9).
Moreno, 66, who has abandoned his predecessor and one-time mentor Rafael Correa's leftist policies, says he will neither tolerate disorder nor overturn the fuel price hike that is part of a liberal economic reform package.
Although he enjoys the support of business and the military, Moreno's popularity has sunk to under 30%, compared with 70% after his 2017 election.
Indigenous-led protests brought down three presidents in the years before Correa's rule.
(Production: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Cristina Munoz) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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