LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Protesters in Bolivia demanding the resignation of conservative President Rodrigo Paz hurled firecrackers, stones and sticks at police who responded with tear gas on Monday, leading to dozens of arrests as road blockades continue to paralyze the Andean nation.
The renewed clashes in the central city of Cochabamba erupted after President Paz signed a measure that could pave the way for a hard-line government crackdown on the demonstrations that have roiled Bolivia over the past five weeks, disrupting transportation and causing shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.
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A vendor carries a sign reading in Spanish "We want to work, we demand a prompt solution," during a march against protesters who are blocking access to La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz signs legislation approved by Congress establishing the legal framework for a state of emergency at the government palace, accompanied by his Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano, left, and Minister of Government Marco Antonio Oviedo in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Anti-government protesters blocking a highway sling stones at military police during clashes in Vinto, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Dico Soliz)
Police detain demonstrators during an anti-government protest in Vinto, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Dico Soliz)
Police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters blocking a highway in Vinto, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Dico Soliz)
Bolivia's national workers' union, peasant farmers and Indigenous groups from the highlands — outraged over Paz's scrapping of fuel subsidies and frustrated with his failure in the last seven months to resolve Bolivia's persistent economic problems — have set up 90 blockades on key routes nationwide, effectively isolating major cities, especially La Paz, the seat of government and neighboring El Alto. Battered by rising inflation and low wages, many protesters accuse Paz of neglecting them since they helped vote him into office.
A report released over the weekend by the independent public ombudsman said that, from May 1 to June 2, the unrest resulted in 10 deaths, 37 injuries and 365 arrests. The government says seven of the deaths were caused by a lack of medical attention, but that all incidents are being investigated.
Paz has tried to negotiate with the protesters and urged restraint in the use of police force against them. But demonstrators have largely refused to sit down with the president and continue to demand nothing short of his resignation just seven months after he took office. His election last year ended nearly 20 years of uninterrupted rule by Bolivia’s Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, the party founded by charismatic ex-President Evo Morales.
Pressure is growing on Paz to mount a more aggressive response to the unrest. On Monday, he signed legislation that eases the government's ability to impose a state of emergency that would suspend constitutional rights and empower the military to restore order and clear the blockades. But for a state of emergency to come into force, Paz must issue a separate decree. It's unclear whether he'll decide to do so, as violent military crackdowns on protests have toppled Bolivian presidents before.
“This law is to protect the majority of the country from the narco-terrorism that is instigating the protests,” Paz said in a national address after signing the law. “I extend my hand to the social organizations that have legitimate demands and reiterate my willingness to engage in dialogue.”
After his speech, crowds stormed a public transport union office in El Alto as tensions surged over fuel shortages, leading to at least 28 arrests, police said. Clashes engulfed the central city of Cochabamba, where protesting farmers attempted to cut off a bridge that connects the region to the west of the country. Police detained 23 people as they sprayed tear gas to disperse demonstrators throwing stones and dynamite.
A vendor carries a sign reading in Spanish "We want to work, we demand a prompt solution," during a march against protesters who are blocking access to La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz signs legislation approved by Congress establishing the legal framework for a state of emergency at the government palace, accompanied by his Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano, left, and Minister of Government Marco Antonio Oviedo in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Anti-government protesters blocking a highway sling stones at military police during clashes in Vinto, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Dico Soliz)
Police detain demonstrators during an anti-government protest in Vinto, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Dico Soliz)
Police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters blocking a highway in Vinto, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Dico Soliz)
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited loud boos.
Trump is watching from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum. He is the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.
Trump’s Marine One helicopter flew from his home in New Jersey and landed near Wall Street before his motorcade made its way up through Manhattan and to the arena roughly an hour before tipoff. He encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying “Trump must go.”
He settled into Dolan's suite shortly afterward.
During the afternoon before Trump's arrival, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. Fans lined up to get inside the arena more than four hours before tipoff, in a scene more closely resembling New Year’s Eve in Times Square than the usual leadup to a basketball game.
They were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, along with going through a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner and in large numbers. Daily commuters, tourists visiting Manhattan and fans were all confounded at various times as they tried to maneuver the security.
After traveling from his new home in Florida for the game, Knicks fan Greg Weldon said the main inconvenience faced so far has been the lack of information.
“We’ve asked so many cops, secret service, guys with machine guns, what to do, where should we go,” he said. “Nobody knows.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown and Spurs counterpart Mitch Johnson downplayed any concept of being inconvenienced by the closures and enhanced security because of Trump.
“There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not,” Johnson said.
With security stepped up, a watch party outside was canceled, and ticket-holders were not allowed to bring bags inside the Garden. Fans had gathered near the arena to watch games during this playoff run, during which the Knicks have won 13 games in a row to reach the final for the first time since 1999 and move two victories from their first NBA title since 1973.
“We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Monday. "But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden.”
This is the latest major sporting event Trump has attended during his time as president, and the security measures have created major hassles for fans.
Thousands of fans missed the start of last year’s U.S. Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner because of lengthy security lines. Even though the U.S. Tennis Association pushed back the start of the match by a half-hour, many fans still couldn’t get in because added measures meant that they had to go through screening not only when they arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but again in front of the steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite.
Federal law enforcement officials have been reexamining Trump’s security in light of three incidents in the past two years: a shooting at a 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania; the discovery of a man armed with a rifle as Trump played golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, later that year; and the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Asked Sunday his thoughts on Trump attending, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said: “Cool, I guess. We can still get out there and play (no matter) who’s here and who’s not.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries were also at the game.
It was already hard enough for Knicks fans to get inside Madison Square Garden because of astronomical ticket prices. The get-in price for a ticket is higher than the average cost of monthly rent in New York, surging over $5,000. The best seats are tens of thousands of dollars. Mamdani said he bought his ticket, which he said was standing-room-only, for about $1,000 directly from Madison Square Garden.
The difficulty of seeing the game in-person has prompted fans to crowd bars, streets and watch parties all over the city. The watch party near the Garden has become a major event all through the playoffs, but with Trump attending, that event was moved a few blocks away outside the security perimeter, at Bryant Park.
“We improvise,” said Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who is a New York native. "We're New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
U.S. Secret Service agents and a U.S. Marine brace against the downdraft as a support helicopter lands before Marine One with President Donald Trump aboard, at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at Pier 6 in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left, Knicks owner James Dolan and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
NYPD officers escort the motorcade of President Donald Trump outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
New York Knicks fans wait in line to enter Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Secret Service agents stand guard in front of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
The motorcade of President Donald Trump arrives to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
A Secret Service agent stands watch outside Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Security fencing is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Security is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
FILE - President Donald Trump, center, attends the men's singles final at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sept. 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
A traveler tries to navigate the area as stringent security measures are set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
FILE - Donald Trump, right, talks to an unidentified man from the stands at Madison Square Garden during the New York Knicks game against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 11, 2006, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)
