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Burkina Faso parliament set ablaze | |
(35 minutes later) | |
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. | |
Are you in Ouagadougou? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in Ouagadougou? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
If you are willing to be contacted by BBC journalists please include a telephone number. | If you are willing to be contacted by BBC journalists please include a telephone number. |