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Pipe-wielding government supporters burst into Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress on Wednesday, witnesses said, attacking and besieging lawmakers in the latest flare-up of violence during a political crisis.
The melee, which injured seven opposition politicians, was another worrying flashpoint in a traumatic last three months for the South American OPEC nation, shaken by opposition protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
At least 90 people have died in the unrest, with fighting and barricades frequently blocking cities across Venezuela.
National Assembly president Julio Borges said more than 350 politicians, journalists and guests to the Independence Day session were trapped in the siege that lasted until dusk.
"There are bullets, cars destroyed including mine, blood stains around the (congress) palace," he told reporters. "The violence in Venezuela has a name and surname: Nicolas Maduro."