AP. 8 January 2002. Police Clash With Protesters Supporting Venezuelan President. CARACAS -- Police fired into the air, lobbed tear gas and used a fire hose Monday to disperse protesters supporting the Venezuelan president. Demonstrators had gathered in front of the Caracas daily El Nacional to protest the newspaper's critical coverage of President Hugo Chavez's leftist government. They banged pots and pans, waved signs and chanted "tell the truth" and "liars, liars." Police moved in and demonstrators threw bottles before moving away. No serious injuries were reported. Police said the protesters did not have permission to demonstrate and blocked newspaper workers entering and leaving the building for four hours. The protesters said they were from a "bolivarian circle" - one of many popular committees Chavez recently set up to defend what he calls his "revolution" to end poverty and corruption in Venezuela. Chavez claims the news media conspire to destabilize his government. His complaints of late have centered on El Nacional, one of Venezuela's two largest newspapers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
