Tens of thousands of protesters lit fires inside Burkina Faso's parliament building on Thursday as unrest continues to bubble up in the West African country. The protesters are demanding that Blaise Compaore, who has been Burkina Faso's president for 27 years, quit his job. At least three protesters were shot dead by security forces, Reuters reports, and Compaore has declared a state of emergency.
Compaore, who originally seized power in a coup, sparked protests when he announced plans to alter the country's constitution in order to seek a fifth term. After the protests grew, communications minster Alain Edouard Traore announced that the government had dropped the plan. But the protesters demanded that Compaore step down now, in addition to not seeking another term.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Iframe Code
-
‘The menu’s other highlights smack of the surreal’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Education: More Americans say college isn’t worth itfeature College is costly and job prospects are vanishing
-
One great cookbook: ‘More Than Cake’the week recommends The power of pastry brought to inspired life
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
