A crowd of 200 officers, wearing civilian clothes and covering their faces, attacked the National Intelligence Directorate on Friday, smashing windows and pulling out furniture, documents, computers and even setting flags on fire.
The directorate is one block from the main square in La Paz, where the presidential palace is located.
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''Mutiny. Police mutiny!'' chanted the protesters as they ransacked the office. Some 20 police stations in 10 cities have joined the uprising. Protesters took over the headquarters of the country's riot police, as well as eight other police stations.
In an upscale La Paz neighbourhood, 300 protesters hurled rocks and shattered windows at national police headquarters. Police outside the building offered no resistance.
The protesters also demanded the resignation of the national police chief, Colonel Victor Maldonado.
They are demanding to negotiate directly with the President, Evo Morales, who was in the presidential palace under military protection. The Interior Minister Carlos Romero, however, said in a statement that the government was willing to raise pay and engage in a ''dialogue to find solutions''.
Police earn an average of $US195 a month, and want their lowest pay raised to $287 a month.
Source:AFP
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