- Title: Tear gas, rocks fly as Ecuador protesters demand president steps down
- Date: 9th October 2019
- Summary: QUITO, ECUADOR (OCTOBER 08, 2019) (REUTERS) RIOT POLICE ON DUTY LAUNCHING TEAR GAS CANISTERS, PROJECTILES BEING THROWN BACK AT OFFICERS PROTESTERS IN BACKGROUND OFFICERS AMIDST TEAR GAS POLICE IN RIOT GEAR MOVING TOWARDS PROTESTERS PROTESTERS NEAR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING AND CHANTING (Spanish) "OUT WITH MORENO" PROTESTER WAVING ECUADORIAN FLAG PROTESTERS GATHERED PROTESTERS CHANTING (Spanish) "URGENTLY SEEKING A PRESIDENT" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, SANTIAGO IGUAMBA, SAYING: "Just like in 1983 (period of economic reforms), we want the (current) economic measures to be canceled. Indigenous communities are here in front of you, we have the vote. Long live the indigenous movement." PROTESTERS GATHERED OUT ON STREET VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED NEAR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, ALEJANDRO FARINANGO, SAYING: "(We are protesting) for the struggle, for the indigenous people, because we are fighting against this inept (President Lenin Moreno). (inaudible) Go Moreno, go, take him away. We don't want him here. Inept. Corrupt. Go. Here (protesting) we have farmers." PROTESTERS GATHERED IN AREA WHERE TEAR GAS CANISTERS ARE BEING LAUNCHED RIOT POLICE ON DUTY AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING RIOT POLICE OFFICER LAUNCHING TEAR GAS CANISTERS OFFICERS ON DUTY AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING POLICE OFFICER IN ARMORED VEHICLE THROWING TEAR GAS CANISTERS IN DIRECTION OF PROTESTERS PROTESTERS GATHERED PROTESTERS OUT ON STREET AMIDST TEAR GAS PROTESTERS THROWING OBJECTS IN DIRECTION OF POLICE, TEAR GAS IN THE AIR PROTESTERS OUT ON STREET, TEAR GAS SMOKE IN THE AIR, OFFICERS IN THE BACKGROUND GENERAL VIEW OF RIOT POLICE ON DUTY BEHIND SHIELDS, FIREBALL THROWN TOWARDS OFFICERS PROTESTER POURING SUBSTANCE INTO SMOKING PROJECTIVE PROTESTER THROWING TEAR GAS CANISTER IN DIRECTION OF OFFICERS PROTESTERS OUT ON THE STREET WITH DEBRIS AROUND THEM PROTESTER GOING AFTER SMOKING TEAR GAS CANISTER PROTESTERS OUT ON STREET AMIDST TEAR GAS OFFICERS ON HORSEBACK NEAR PROTEST SITE
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 02:28
- Keywords: Ecuador protest Quito violence riot police President Lenin Moreno fuel tear gas
- Location: QUITO, ECUADOR
- City: QUITO, ECUADOR
- Country: Ecuador
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0DJKNB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Protesters and riot police exchanged rocks and tear gas in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito on Tuesday (October 08) amidst rising anger of austerity measures that have seen a price hike in fuel.
With no signs of the tensions abating, Ecuador's government sought foreign mediation via the United Nations or the Catholic Church. The unrest has forced the government to move from the capital and brought hundreds of arrests.
Thousands of indigenous demonstrators have converged on the highland capital, Quito, and clashed with police near the heavily guarded National Assembly.
Facing the biggest challenge to his two-and-a-half-year rule, President Lenin Moreno has declared a state of emergency and relocated government operations to the coastal city of Guayaquil where there has been less trouble.
Officials say the number of arrests has risen to 570.
Moreno has accused the leftist Correa, his one-time mentor and boss when he was vice president, of seeking a coup with the help of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro.
Moreno had enthusiastically backed Correa during his decade-long rule but broke with him after winning a 2017 election to succeed him, and moved economic policies to the right.
(Production: Alberto Fajardo, Daniel Tapa, Nacho Munoz, Geraldine Downer) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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