Summary The protester played the Venezuelan national anthem as demonstrators clashed with police around him.
(Web desk) - Sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails are the go-to weapons of protesters around the world. Such tools are effective against law enforcement in riot gear with tear gas shells and armoured vehicles at their disposal.
But a young protester in Venezuela is treading a different path. In a protest demonstration against the government of Nicolas Maduro earlier this week, a young man decided to use the power of music to voice his disapproval of the government.
Armed with just a violin, the protester played the Venezuelan national anthem as anti-government demonstrators and law enforcement clashed around him.
A video of the incident, captured by journalist Ivan Ernesto Ryes, showed him in a helmet with a red shirt wrapped around his face. The young man bravely played his violin as tear gas shells fired by police fell on the protesters around him. Some of his comrades can also be seen protecting him with shields and by throwing back the incoming tear gas shells falling near him.
Ryes, who shared the video on Twitter, called the scene a “display of magical realism”. He tweeted, “Today I saw a real display of magical realism. A demonstrator played his violin while the PNB (Venezuela’s National Guard) threw tear gas and pellets.”
Hoy vi una verdadera muestra de realismo mágico. Un manifestante tocaba su violín mientras la PNB lanzaba lacrimógenas y perdigones pic.twitter.com/Xhg7NNBkX8
— Iván Ernesto Reyes (@IvanEReyes) May 8, 2017
Venezuela has witnessed deadly protests since January this year. Protests have occurred almost daily, with thousands clashing with riot police. Foreign media reports have said that at least 48 people have been killed while around 700 have been injured in clashes. Venezuelan rights group Penal forum was quoted in media as having reported 1800 arrests.
The oil-rich country is suffering from a severe recession along with hyper inflation. According to Reuters, the International Monetary Fund put the inflation rate at 800 percent in 2016, with the figure expected to rise to 2200 percent by the end of 2017.
Moreover, the country is also suffering from unemployment and food shortages, with medicine reserves in a dire state.
The recent increase in protest demonstrations was caused by a decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Court to take power away from the opposition-dominated National Assembly, a vastly unpopular move considered by many as a means to strengthen the hold of Nicolas Maduro.
