Burkina protesters burn parliament, ransack state tv myjoyonline/world/2014/October-30th/protesters-storm-set-fire-to-burkina-faso-parliament-witnesses.php Thousands of protesters stormed Burkina Fasos parliament and ransacked state television on Thursday, forcing it off the air ahead of a planned vote on a motion to allow the veteran president to extend his 27-year rule. Black smoke swirled in the air around parliament after demonstrators lit fires inside the building before looting computers and televisions screens and wheeling away police motobikes, a Reuters reporter said. The crowd headed towards the presidency as a government helicopter flew overhead, shooting teargas at protesters. Lawmakers had been due to vote on Thursday on a government plan to change the constitution to allow President Blaise Compaore - who took power in a coup in 1987 - to stand for re-election again next year, when he was due to stand down. According to one local reporter, state television read a statement saying the proposal had been withdrawn before it was forced off air. However, the information minister, reached by telephone, said he could not confirm this. We did this because Blaise was trying to stay too long. We are tired of him, said Seydou Kabre, a protester in the crowd heading for the prime ministers office. We want a change. He must go! Most deputies had not yet arrived for the vote when protesters, who had set up barricades outside parliament from early on Thursday, stormed the building. The crowd surged forward after police fired warning shots in the air. A Reuters reporter saw nearby structures also on fire and vehicles outside the parliament being smashed.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:04:48 +0000
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