Venezuelan police break up anti-government rally with tear gas
CARACAS, July 22, (APP/AFP) – Police on motorcycles
fired tear gas Saturday to break up an opposition march on the Venezuelan Supreme Court to press demands that President Nicolas Maduro leave office, as months of sometimes deadly anti-government demonstrations showed no signs of abating.
The rally was also meant as a show of support for a slate of 33
magistrates — a so-called shadow supreme court — whose names were put forward Friday by the opposition to replace Venezuela’s current high court, which is closely allied with Maduro and frequently rules in his favor.
Emboldened by a nationwide strike on Thursday which paralyzed parts
of the capital Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, opposition leaders held a mock swearing-in ceremony Friday for the shadow court’s new “judges.”
Many of the actual court’s justices were hastily appointed shortly
before Maduro’s ruling party lost its majority in congress.
The shadow court has strong support from the demonstrators,
organizers said Saturday.
“Everyone has given their backing to the new Supreme Court,” tweeted
Freddy Guevara, a leader of the opposition-led congress.
“We support the new judges because they will restore independence to
the Supreme Court,” said 43-year-old demonstrator Luis Torrealba, marching with his wife and teenage son.