BREAKING— Chaos erupts in Varekko as the Okhoa Civil Defense Patrol has opened fire on protesters demanding independence, eyewitnesses report. Demonstrations, already tense after weeks of unrest, turned violent when security forces used live ammunition to disperse crowds gathered outside the Regional Council building. Casualty numbers remain unclear, but initial reports indicate multiple injuries and possible fatalities. Protesters are calling the crackdown an act of oppression, while the Okhoa Regional Council has yet to issue a statement. International observers have condemned the escalation, warning of a deepening crisis in the Protectorate.