- Title: Molotov cocktails, tear gas fly in Venezuela protest
- Date: 5th July 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JULY 04, 2017) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE **** GENERAL VIEW OF TEAR GAS CANISTER BEING TOSSED OVER FLYOVER NATIONAL GUARD OFFICERS WALKING OVER FLYOVER SHOOTING TEAR GAS CANISTER AND GROUP OF YOUTH GATHERED UNDER FLYOVER BELOW NATURAL GUARD OFFICER SHOOTING TEAR GAS CANISTER AND WALKING AWAY PROTESTERS ON STREET THROWING OBJECTS / OBJECT EXPLODES AS IT LANDS ON OTHER SIDE OF ROAD AND PROTESTERS CHEER PROTESTER THROWING OBJECT THAT WAS IN HIS HAND / OBJECT EXPLODES NATIONAL GUARD OFFICERS IN FORMATION IN BACKGROUND / OFFICER TRYING TO DISLODGE ROPE WITH SHIELD MASKED PROTESTERS RUN TOWARDS TEAR GAS CANISTER ON THE GROUND AND PROTESTER PICKS IT UP TO THROW IT AWAY OFFICERS APPREHENDING PROTESTER ON STREET, PUTS HIM ON BACK OF POLICE MOTORCYCLE AND RIDES AWAY WITH DETAINEE WHO TRIES TO GET AWAY PROTESTER HOLDING UP MOLOTOV COCKTAIL AND WALKING IN DIRECTION OF OFFICERS OFFICERS ON ROAD NEAR PROTEST SITE PROTESTER RUNNING TOWARDS RECENTLY DROPPED TEAR GAS CANISTER, PICKS IT UP AND RUNS TOWARDS BARRICADES TO TOSS IT OVER PROTESTER STANDING IN MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND WAVING VENEZUELAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, MARIA ROJAS, SAYING: "When this protest started 90 days ago there was no constituent (election) and now we are going to resolve the problems of the country with a constituent (assembly), turning over the constitution that we have without knowing what new constitution they will create. Will this mean peace for Venezuela? It doesn't make sense." PROTESTERS GATHERED BEHIND SECTION OF FLYOVER AND THROWING MOLOTOV COCKTAILS IN DIRECTION OF OFFICERS GATHERED NEARBY OFFICERS LAUNCHING TEAR GAS CANISTERS IN DIRECTION OF PROTESTERS PROTESTERS GATHERED AROUND ELDERLY WOMAN IN PINK UMBRELLA TO HELP HER CROSS PROTEST SCENE PROTESTERS GATHERED BEHIND SECTION OF FLYOVER THROWING OBJECTS TOWARDS OFFICERS PROTESTER THROWING OBJECTS TOWARDS OFFICERS AS FELLOW PROTESTER STANDS IN FRONT WITH MAKESHIFT SHIELD OFFICERS GATHERED ON MOTORBIKES NEAR PROTEST SCENE MASKED PROTESTER THROWS MOLOTOV COCKTAIL TOWARDS OFFICERS / ANOTHER PROTESTER FOLLOWS AND THROWS OBJECT AS OBSCENITY IS HEARD BEING SCREAMED IN THE BACKGROUND PEOPLE ON MOTORBIKES RIDING CLOSE TO SMALL FLAMES ON ROAD WHERE MOLOTOV COCKTAILS HAVE FALLEN HOODED PROTESTER WEARING ANONYMOUS MASK LARGE ROCKS AND EARTH IN MIDDLE OF ROAD AS PART OF PROTEST BLOCKADE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, ANFER CASTILLOM SAYING: "I protest because it is my way of asserting my rights, of demanding (my rights) and doing my bit for my country. When there is a government such as this one that does not care about anything else but its own personal benefit, I think as Venezuelans it falls on us to stop this type of thing, to complain and not to allow these things to happen." GARBAGE BAGS, BRANCHES AND TRUNK STREWN ACROSS STREET FOR PROTEST BLOCKADE PROTESTER BANGING BRICKS TOGETHER TO BREAK IT UP AND USE IT AS PART OF BLOCKADE WOMAN CHANTING TO DENOUNCE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY AND CALLING FOR NEW PRESIDENT AS SHE BANGS AN ITEM ON A POLE PEOPLE ON MOTORCYCLE NEAR SITE OF PROTEST BLOCKADE GIRL WEARING VENEZUELAN FLAG BANDANA AND SMALL VENEZUELAN FLAG AS SHE BALANCES ON DIVIDER IN MIDDLE OF THE ROAD MILITARY JETS FLYING ABOVE MILITARY JETS FLYING ABOVE AND SOUND OF TEAR GAS CANISTERS BEING LAUNCHED IN THE BACKGROUND HELICOPTER FLYING ABOVE
- Embargoed: 19th July 2017 01:44
- Keywords: Venezuela protest blow to dictatorship Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro violence stun granades
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA0016OAYXJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE IN SHOT #20
Protesters and riot police faced off on the streets of Caracas on Tuesday (July 04) during heated protests against President Nicolas Maduro that boiled over to violence.
Tuesday's protest saw officers of the National Guard trade tear gas with Molotov cocktails and rocks after protesters sought to occupy a road in the capital.
The violent scenes come nearly a week after Maduro claimed the OPEC nation (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) was the victim of a coup, feeding claims from the government that the US government and opposition are working to overthrow Miraflores Palace.
Critics of the government say the coup claims are part of a government set up to secure power through a vote for a constituent assembly, a body with the power to change the country's constitution.
The opposition fears the assembly will be stacked with government supporters to cement Maduro's rule over the country.
But Maduro claims the vote will be the only way to secure peace in the divided nation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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