CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) --Protests against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez take
all sorts of forms, from massive street marches to pot-banging sessions and standup
comedy shows.

Mohamad Merhi simply stopped eating. On Tuesday, he began a hunger strike
to demand justice for his son, Jesus, one of several protesters gunned down
during an opposition march April 11.

Solving the slayings of 19 people that day is key to international efforts to
resolve Venezuela's political crisis. The killings were partly to blame for a
two-day coup that briefly ousted Chavez from power.

Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States,
pressed the government this week to create a truth commission to establish
responsibility for the slayings.

Merhi's hunger strike has been overshadowed by a protest involving 100
dissident military officers and thousands of civilians in an eastern Caracas plaza
demanding a vote on Chavez's rule.

Tiny and frail, Merhi has pitched a tent on the steps of the Supreme Court,
hoping to embarrass justices long suspected of allegiance to Chavez into ruling
on accepting a case that could hold the president responsible for the April 11
deaths.

His quiet protest over his 18-year-old son's death has resonated with people
here in a different way than the noisy demonstrations organized by the
opposition.

His tent is surrounded by flowers, burning candles, handwritten prayers and
images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ brought by sympathizers. Dozens of
people came Friday, chanting "Justice Now!" and "Wake Up Magistrates!"

"Spiritually, I'm in excellent condition and ready to continue my fight," Merhi
said Friday. "Energy and love flow into me from the people who come here."

Jesus Mohamad Capote was killed while marching toward the presidential
palace with thousands of other government opponents.

Only a handful of arrests have been made in the shootings. No case has made it
to trial.

Opponents claim Chavez could have avoided the bloodshed by reining in his
supporters, especially those who were armed. Chavez has accused opposition
leaders of provoking the violence by sending hundreds of thousands of people
marching toward the palace without notice.

On Friday, dozens of "Chavistas," as the president's supporters are called,
arrived at the high court shouting pro-government slogans and insults at Merhi
as he lay quietly in his tent.

Using tear gas, dozens of National Guardsmen dispersed the crow of Chavez
supporters after they threatened and attacked people who came to show their
support for Merhi. Red Cross workers escorted Merhi to a waiting ambulance
as he and others choked on gas.

After the tear gas cleared, the Globovision television channel reported that
unidentified gunmen fired at National Guardsmen with automatic weapons from
nearby buildings.

No serious injuries were reported and no suspects were detained.

In a separate case, a lower court judge Thursday denied a bid by four people
accused in the April 11 shootings to dismiss their cases for lack of evidence.
The four Chavez supporters are being held without bail pending trial. They face
homicide charges carrying 30-year prison terms.

Merhi was inspired by the ruling -- and bets his quiet protest will force the high
court justices to act.

"The will of those who search for the truth is stronger than those who lie and
deceive," he said.

Copyright 2002 The Associated Press.