A Call To Strike

After days of protests and anger building, the protest leaders called for a national strike. They were calling for all businesses to be closed and for people to stay home and off the roads unless to protest.

Throngs of frustrated protesters from all over the countryside were blocking and shutting down all road travel. The airports had been closed for a few days already after protesters had violently stormed airports in other cities, setting fires and vandalizing them. The Cusco airport had not been damaged but was closed as a precaution.

They wanted to grind the economy to a halt and force the government’s hand in an effort to get them to listen to their demands. Mobs of protesters combed the streets telling people to shut down their businesses and to keep vehicles off the roads.

It began with announcements and warnings, then it turned to enforcement. By nighttime, the agitators in the crowd were done with warnings. They had been held back by those promoting peaceful protests but were done with that once the cover of darkness arrived.

Any vehicle they came across on the roads was swarmed and pelted with rocks and boulders, and beaten with pipes or other objects. Businesses that were found not adhering to the protesters’ demands were vandalized and looted. Some owners who objected and stood their ground were physically assaulted.

By the next morning, the streets were empty apart from the mobs that continued to patrol the city and the riot police that were organizing and taking their positions. The stage was set for the protester's plan to march on the airport and seize control.

MB