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Riots in Panama

NZPA-Reuter Panama City Large areas of Panama City were turned into battlefields yesterday as a protest movement against Army chief, General Manuel Noriega, spread from 1 students to other

sections of society. Police fired birdshot and tear gas at demonstrators for a second day in succession in protests sparked by allegations that Panama’s military leader was involved in murder and other criminal activities. Thousands of students gathered around the university and in other districts, blocking off roads, setting fire to vehicles and chanting “Noriega Assassin” and “Noriega is Gay.”

As night fell, middleclass men and women joined in, shouting from balconies of plush homes in the central banking district, or banging pots and pans to express their approval. At dusk, the sporadic fire turned into more steady shooting, but it was not immediately clear whether policemen were firing real bullets or volleys of tear gas. The city centre looked battered and deserted, except for the protesters who disappeared down side streets only to appear again and taunt the riot police.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19870612.2.63.4

Bibliographic details

Press, 12 June 1987, Page 6

Word Count
173

Riots in Panama Press, 12 June 1987, Page 6

Riots in Panama Press, 12 June 1987, Page 6