Reports say businesses have been shut and transport has been paralysed in the city, with the police engaging in running battles with demonstrators.
The youth-led protests are calling on MPs to reject proposed tax increases but the government, which has rowed back on some of the most controversial measures, says new taxes are needed to fund spending programmes and lessen the debt burden.The police then reportedly started firing in the air and at the protesters.
I t was confirmed that officers have been deployed to protect various key government installations including parliament.
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Reports say businesses have been shut and transport has been paralysed in the city, with the police engaging in running battles with demonstrators. The youth-led protests are calling on MPs to reject proposed tax increases but the government, which has rowed back on some of the most controversial measures, says new taxes are needed to fund spending programmes and lessen the debt burden.The police then reportedly started firing in the air and at the protesters.
From the morning the anti-riot police have been using teargas to disperse the protesters amid clashes with the security officers. There have also been huge crowds in many other parts of the country.
Ahead of the demonstrations, lawyers and human rights groups expressed concern about arbitrary arrests and the intimidation of activists during earlier protests.
It came amid reports of at least five prominent social media users being abducted at dawn, hours before the demonstrations.