- Title: USA: Hundreds of supporters of opposition march through DC
- Date: 22nd February 2014
- Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, USA (FEBRUARY 22, 2014) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS CARRY VENEZUELAN FLAG PAST WASHINGTON MONUMENT PROTESTER WITH SIGN READING: "MADURO IS VIOLATING HUMAN RIGHTS!" PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS POSE IN FRONT OF SIMON BOLIVAR MONUMENT PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS AND FLAGS CROSS MAIN AVENUE. SIGN, READING: "11 DAYS OF PROTESTS. TIRED? NEVER. THERE HAVE BEEN 15 YEARS OF SILENCE." FRONT OF PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS AND FLAGS SOUNDBITE (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PROTESTER THONH MEJIAS SAYING: "The reason we are here today is because our Venezuelan brothers are being massacred, are being brutally assassinated using machine guns and tanks. This has already turned into the detention of protesting citizens. They've already been found out to be a dictatorship and murdering government, and we have to do something to stop them." GIRL POSES WITH FRAME AROUND HER FACE THAT READS: "#SOSVENEZUELA, WASHINGTON, D.C." WOMAN WEARING "CAPRILES" HAT SINGS. PROTESTERS SING, HOLDING SIGNS AND FLAGS. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) PROTESTER MANUEL FREIDEZ, SAYING: "We are all here protesting for a new Venezuela. The government has taken all our rights away. We want human rights to become a reality. We are hoping for the best. Venezuela has gone through so many unbelievable things lately. We want freedom, we want a new government. Because this government has taken away our freedoms." WOMAN PLAYS VIOLIN INSIDE A CIRCLE OF PEOPLE, SINGING. MAN IN CROWD HOLDS SIGN, READING: "SOS VENEZUELA."
- Embargoed: 9th March 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA92N4262ZH679XOFWPYKIUNIPF
- Story Text: Hundreds of supporters of the Venezuelan opposition marched in Washington, D.C. Saturday (February 22) to protest against President Nicolas Maduro's government. A march began at the Washington Monument and ended in a demonstration at the State Department, where about 600 people gathered holding signs and Venezuela's flag, signing the national anthem.
Hand-written signs accused Maduro of violating human rights, and protesters criticised what they said was a heavy-handed response by the government to the protests.
"The reason we are here today is because our Venezuelan brothers are being massacred, are being brutally assassinated using machine guns and tanks. This has already turned into the detention of protesting citizens. They've already been found out to be a dictatorship and murdering government, and we have to do something to stop them," said a Venezuelan man, Thonh Mejias.
Many opposition protesters have accused the government of breaching their freedoms.
"We are all here protesting for a new Venezuela. The government has taken all our rights away. We want human rights to become a reality. We are hoping for the best. Venezuela has gone through so many unbelievable things lately. We want freedom, we want a new government. Because this government has taken away our freedoms."
Protests by supporters of Venezuela's opposition have been staged in several major cities around the world.
The opposition are demanding that the president resign over rampant crime, high inflation, shortages of basic products, and what they see as repression of political opponents.
Maduro says the protests are a pretext for a planned coup, similar to the short-lived one in 2002.
At least eight people have died in the wave of violence.
Some 100 civilians have also been injured, and 37 members of the security forces, authorities say. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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