|
Ecuador Protests Shutdown
Congress
Ecuadorian legislators suspended
Tuesday´s ordinary session faced
with a multitude of people
around Congress demanding an
immediate call to a referendum.
Shouting “no more cheese to the
Congress rats,” “we want the
referendum to call the
Constituent Assembly,” and
waving flags of Ecuador and
several social and political
movements, thousands of
demonstrators demanded the
referendum.
Faced with the siege and threats
to occupy the building, from
Ecuadorians from all the
country´s provinces, the
congressmen had to leave through
the back door, guarded by
security forces.
One of the first legislators to
come out was Legislature
President Jorge Cevallos, amid
extreme security measures when
it was learned that students
broke the police cordon in one
of the streets neighboring the
building.
A group of protesters was able
to reach the patio, but withdrew
shortly after a teargas charge
by the police.
A crowd of Ecuadorians remained
around congressional
headquarters, demanding
immediate organization of a
referendum to establish the
Constituent Assembly.
The deputies were in the middle
of analyzing a report by the
Constitutional Affairs Committee
rejecting the referendum
proposal to establish a
Constituent Assembly,
considering it a violation of
the Constitution.
|
|
