Angry Burkina faso's Protesters Sets Parliament Ablaze (Photo)

                                                 

Protesters angry at plans to allow Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore to extend his 27-year-rule have set fire to parliament.

The BBC’s Laeila Adjovi in the capital, Ouagadougou, say the city hall and ruling party headquarters are also in flames. Earlier, the military reportedly fired at protesters who stormed parliament.

Parliament was due to consider changing the constitution so that Mr Compaore can run for office again next year. He first took power in a coup in 1987, and has won four disputed elections since then.

The opposition has called for a campaign of civil disobedience to demand that he steps down in next year’s elections.


State television has gone off air after protesters stormed the building housing it and ransacked it, Reuters news agency quotes a witness as saying.

Smoke could be seen billowing from parliament. Police had earlier fired tear gas to prevent protesters from moving in on the parliamentary building.

But about 1,500 people managed to breach the security cordon and were ransacking parliament, AFP news agency reports. Protesters were setting fire to documents and stealing computer equipment; cars outside the building are also on fire, it reports.

Seen on: http://www.bbc.com