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Buildings Torched As Protestors Attempt To ‘Take’ Capital Of Peru

(Photo by DIEGO RAMOS/AFP via Getty Images)

Dylan Housman Deputy News Editor
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Thousands of protesters stormed the Peruvian capital of Lima on Thursday, leading to a massive fire downtown as demonstrators tried to topple the government, according to multiple reports.

Roughly 3,500 protesters gathered in Lima, according to police estimates, to demand the ouster of President Dina Boluarte, who assumed office less than two months ago. A sizable blaze flared up near a protest site close to several government buildings, commanding the attention of firefighters for hours into Thursday night.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Peru’s National Police shared video of the incident and warned residents to stay away from the area.

Some protesters clashed with police while claiming they were there to “take Lima,” according to Al-Jazeera. More than 50 people have been killed so far in connection to the protests, the government reported. 22 police officers and 16 civilians were injured Thursday alone, according to the Interior Ministry.

The protest movement began in December when former socialist president Pedro Castillo was removed from power by the Peruvian Congress. He had attempted on Dec. 7 to dissolve the Congress of Peru and institute a provisional government to compose a new constitution, a move critics denounced as a coup attempt. He was impeached and removed from office that day.

While protesters have called for Castillo’s successor, Boluarte, to step down, she has defied all demands for her resignation. The U.S. did not oppose the ouster of Castillo, with the State Department saying at the time that the Congress of Peru carried out its constitutional process and replaced the president with a new one. (RELATED: Joy Behar Says Trump ‘Would’ve Been In Jail’ In Other Democracies Like Peru And Germany)

Lima remains in a state of emergency despite Boluarte claiming the situation is “under control.”