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Honduras police break up protests Honduras police break up protests
(about 1 hour later)
Honduran security forces have broken up protests outside the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa in support of deposed President Manuel Zelaya, reports say.Honduran security forces have broken up protests outside the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa in support of deposed President Manuel Zelaya, reports say.
Police surrounded the embassy, where Mr Zelaya is staying, and the scene is now said to be calm. Police have surrounded the embassy, where Mr Zelaya is staying, and the scene is now said to be calm.
Protesters defied a curfew set after Mr Zelaya's surprise return on Monday. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged Mr Zelaya not to provoke a confrontation, AP news agency reports.
He had been in exile since being thrown out of Honduras on 28 June. Interim leader Roberto Micheletti has insisted Mr Zelaya should face trial. Mr Zelaya made a surprise return on Monday after months of exile. Interim authorities say he must face trial.
The confrontation between protesters and police took place in the early morning local time, reports said, and police are now said to be in control of the area. But the US and other governments have joined Mr Zelaya in calling for a negotiated settlement to the crisis, which began when Mr Zelaya was forced out of the country at gunpoint on 28 June.
Police fired tear gas at the protesters and at least two tear-gas canisters landed inside the embassy compound, said a photographer for Reuters news agency who was at the scene. 'Asphyxiation'
Inside the embassy, Mr Zelaya accused police of preparing an attack. Security forces surrounded the embassy and used tear gas to disperse thousands of Mr Zelaya's supporters in an operation that began in the early morning local time on Tuesday.
"The embassy is surrounded by police and the military... I foresee bigger acts of aggression and violence, that they could be capable of even invading the Brazilian embassy," he told Venezuelan broadcaster Telesur, according to Reuters.
But a police spokesman said force had to be used to disperse the protesters, and that the curfew remained in effect until Tuesday evening.
A protest leader, Juan Barahona, alleged that police had used live rounds, but this was denied by the interim deputy foreign minister, Martha Lorena Alvarado.A protest leader, Juan Barahona, alleged that police had used live rounds, but this was denied by the interim deputy foreign minister, Martha Lorena Alvarado.
Mr Micheletti has demanded that the deposed leader be handed over to face trial, saying Brazil will be held responsible for any violence. Mr Zelaya has urged supporters to protest from his base at the embassy
The demonstrators had defied a curfew imposed after Mr Zelaya made his dramatic appearance in the Brazilian embassy on Monday.
The Brazilian president said he spoke to Mr Zelaya, telling him not to provide a pretext for interim authorities to invade his country's embassy, AP reported.
Mr Lula reiterated his support for a negotiated end to the stand-off, reports said.
But inside the embassy, Mr Zelaya told Venezuelan broadcaster Telesur that interim authorities were cutting off all supplies to the embassy.
"I think they are going to employ a strategy of asphyxiating the embassy by surrounding it, cutting off the food supply, asphyxiating the people inside in order to demonstrate their force and power, and to try and humiliate the people in here who are really trying to find a solution, for dialogue at a national level," he said.
In an interview with BBC Mundo Ms Alvarado, the interim deputy foreign minister, said the government expected "that in the next few hours Brazil would either hand him [Zelaya] over or grant him political asylum".
Despite the international condemnation of the circumstances of Mr Zelaya's removal from office, she said, "that does not permit any embassy to use its diplomatic territory... to urge a civil uprising".
"It is fine that they support Zelaya's return but by force is not the way to proceed," she said.
"When Mr Zelaya was sent into exile, it was precisely to avoid what you are seeing now, disturbances directed by him," Ms Alvarado told BBC Mundo.
In addition to the curfew, airports have been shut and roadblocks set up on highways leading into Tegucigalpa.In addition to the curfew, airports have been shut and roadblocks set up on highways leading into Tegucigalpa.
Calls for calmCalls for calm
But Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim warned that any threat to Mr Zelaya or the Brazilian embassy would be a grave breach of international law. Earlier, Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim warned that any threat to Mr Zelaya or the Brazilian embassy would be a grave breach of international law.
Earlier, the European Union called for calm following Mr Zelaya's dramatic return to the country. The European Union also called for calm following Mr Zelaya's dramatic return to the country.
In a statement, it called on Mr Zelaya and the interim government to negotiate an end to the three-month crisis.In a statement, it called on Mr Zelaya and the interim government to negotiate an end to the three-month crisis.
It added its voice to that of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said Mr Zelaya's return must not lead to violence.It added its voice to that of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said Mr Zelaya's return must not lead to violence.