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While countries on both sides of the Persian Gulf are moving toward de-escalation, the United States has decided to ramp up tensions in the region by sending additional fighter jets.

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In the capital Lima, police officers used tear gas to repel demonstrators throwing glass bottles and stones, as fires burned in the streets, local TV footage showed.

In the country’s southern Puno region, some 1,500 protesters attacked a police station in the town of Ilave, Interior Minister Vicente Romero said in a statement to news media.

A police station in Zepita, Puno, was also on fire, Romero said.

Health authorities in Ilave reported eight patients hospitalized with injuries, including broken arms and legs, eye contusions and punctured abdomens.

By late afternoon, 58 people had been injured nationwide in demonstrations, according to a report from Peru’s ombudsman.

The unrest followed a day of turmoil in Thursday, when one of Lima’s most historic buildings burned to the ground, as President Dina Boluarte vowed to get tougher on “vandals.”

The destruction of the building, a near-century-old mansion in central Lima, was described by officials as the loss of a “monumental asset.” Authorities are investigating the causes.

Romero on Friday claimed the blaze was “duly planned and arranged.”

Thousands of protesters descended on Lima this week calling for change and angered by the protests’ mounting death toll, which officially stood at 45 on Friday.

Protests have rocked Peru since President Pedro Castillo was ousted in December after he attempted to dissolve the legislature to prevent an impeachment vote.

The unrest has until this week been concentrated in Peru’s south.

In the Cusco region, Glencore’s (GLEN.L) major Antapaccay copper mine suspended operations on Friday after protesters attacked the premises – one of the largest in the country – for the third time this month.

Airports in Arequipa, Cusco and the southern city of Juliaca were also attacked by demonstrators, delivering a fresh blow to Peru’s tourism industry.

“It’s nationwide chaos, you can’t live like this. We are in a terrible uncertainty – the economy, vandalism,” said Lima resident Leonardo Rojas.

The government has extended a state of emergency to six regions, curtailing some civil rights.

But Boluarte has dismissed calls for her to resign and hold snap elections, instead calling for dialogue and promising to punish those involved in the unrest.

“All the rigor of the law will fall on those people who have acted with vandalism,” Boluarte said on Thursday.

Some locals pointed the finger at Boluarte, accusing her of not taking action to quell the protests, which began on Dec. 7 in response to the ouster and arrest of Castillo.

Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms. The police say protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives.

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During a press briefing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the key question was the role played by the Americans, whom she branded “the [main] culprit of current tensions.”

“If someone keeps pouring oil on the flames while accusing others of not doing their best to put out the fire, such kind of behavior is clearly irresponsible and immoral,” Hua said. China objects to “any action that hypes up war,” she added.

Chunying accused the US of hypocrisy, asking whether Washington had respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and Afghanistan, where she said it had “wantonly killed innocent people.” She called on the US to “take these questions seriously and abandon double standards.”

Describing the unfolding events as “complex,” the spokeswoman confirmed that Beijing was not providing military support to Russia, and said China was not “jumping to any conclusions” over the situation.

She called on all sides to “work for peace instead of increasing tensions” or “stoking panic.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military attack on Ukraine on Thursday, which he said was aimed at demilitarizing and “denazifying” the country. He accused the West of flooding Ukraine with advanced weaponry and ramping up the NATO presence in the country, arguing that the Russian “special operation” was necessary to protect the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which Moscow has recognized as sovereign states.

Russia’s military action has prompted an international outcry and threats of new, large-scale sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Kiev had cut diplomatic ties with Moscow.

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The envisioned summit, where they will affirm the group’s unity over the crisis, would come after an emergency meeting of the G-7 foreign ministers. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry of G-7 host Germany reportedly said the foreign ministers will meet in Munich on Saturday.

Specific sanctions that would be imposed on Russia in the event of an incursion are also expected to be on the agenda of the foreign ministerial meeting, likely to take place in person on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The conference is a three-day multinational forum on international security policy slated to start Friday.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi plans to represent Japan at the meeting, also involving Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, plus the European Union.

The United States and other Western allies, including Britain, have already warned of sanctions being imposed on Russia if Moscow invades neighboring Ukraine.

In a parliament session on Wednesday, Hayashi said Japan will “coordinate with the G-7” in dealing with the Ukraine crisis, including “imposing sanctions should there be a Russian invasion,” while it continues to seek a solution through diplomatic dialogue.

On top of attending the foreign ministerial meeting, Hayashi is also seeking to hold separate talks with his counterparts to discuss how to defuse the current tensions, the sources said.

During phone talks on Wednesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed they would not accept any unilateral change in the status quo by force in reference to Moscow’s possible military action against Ukraine.

Kishida told reporters after their talks that he and Johnson affirmed their consistent support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The leaders also agreed to continue diplomatic efforts for de-escalation.

Kishida held separate phone talks Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU.

Earlier this week, the G-7 finance ministers warned Russia of economic sanctions that would have “massive and immediate” consequences should it commit any aggression against Ukraine.

Tensions were heightened as Russia had amassed some 150,000 troops near Ukraine, a massive military buildup that follows its annexation of Crimea in 2014. But Moscow has denied it intends to invade Ukraine.

In a move that could lead to de-escalation, Russia’s military said Tuesday some troops were returning to their bases following exercises near Ukraine.

But U.S. President Joe Biden has said a partial Russian troop withdrawal has not yet been verified and that “an invasion remains distinctly possible.”

Russia has been asserting that its security is under threat with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s eastward expansion and the possibility of the former Soviet republic becoming a member of the security bloc.

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The virtual gathering of the East Asia Summit took place as tensions between the United States and China have been intensifying recently over several issues in the Asia-Pacific region, such as the South and East China seas and the Taiwan Strait.

Biden’s participation in the meeting underscored that the United States has been keen to regain its influence in the region, while China has been trying to bolster relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Donald Trump, Biden’s predecessor who was absent from the regional summit for the fourth straight year during his tenure, drew criticism for his perceived lack of interest in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, the situation in Myanmar, in which political confusion has been lingering since the junta ousted the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, is expected to become one of the major agenda items at the East Asia Summit.

Claiming sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, Beijing has rapidly built artificial islands with military infrastructure in the maritime area.

China has conflicting territorial claims with four ASEAN members — Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam — as well as Taiwan in the sea, a strategic waterway through which more than one-third of global trade passes.

Beijing also claims the Senkakus, a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea administered by Japan. They are called Diaoyu in China.

Following the summit, Kishida, who became prime minister in early October, told reporters that he conveyed Japan’s “firm stance” on maritime security in the South and East China seas to leaders of other countries.

He added that he emphasized at the ASEAN-related summits that it is important to pay attention to China’s alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong and security challenges to Taiwan.

Kishida may have expressed concern over China’s frequent sending of coast guard ships near the Senkaku Islands despite Japan’s protests, foreign affairs experts say.

Japanese and U.S. political leaders have confirmed that Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. security treaty covers the islets, meaning the United States would defend Japan in the event of a conflict there.

As for Taiwan, Biden late last week said the United States is committed to defending the self-ruled democratic island if China mounts an attack on it, apparently contradicting Washington’s long-standing policy to keep its stance on the matter ambiguous.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin swiftly reacted to Biden’s remarks, saying, “No one should underestimate the Chinese people’s strong determination, firm will and strong ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 as a result of a civil war. Relations have deteriorated since independence-leaning Tsai Ing-wen became Taiwan’s president in 2016. The mainland considers the island as a renegade province.

The East Asia Summit comprises ASEAN — which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

Myanmar’s military leader, however, was excluded from the East Asia Summit after the junta refused to allow an ASEAN special envoy to meet with Suu Kyi and other opposition figures.

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Prayuth’s office issued a statement repeating his plea to resolve differences through Parliament, which will discuss the political situation in a special session starting Monday.

“Although the ongoing political situation comprises many opposing views among different groups, we should rather take this as an opportunity for Thais to consult each other on what is best for the nation,” said the statement.

Prayuth this past week issued a call to allow Parliament to seek a solution to the crisis, and in a gesture to appease the protesters, revoked a state of emergency for Bangkok he had imposed a week earlier that made protest rallies illegal.

“If all parties are committed to exercise full restraint and flexibility, the circumstances would be more conducive to de-escalating the current tense political conflict and reaching an outcome that is acceptable to all stakeholders,” said Saturday’s statement, quoting government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri.

The protesters, however, said they were sticking to a deadline of 10 p.m. Saturday for Prayuth to meet their demands that he resign, and that their arrested comrades be released from jail.

One of the protest leaders, Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa, told a crowd outside Bangkok Remand Prison that protesters should gather there Saturday and consider their next step as they wait for a response from Prayuth.

Protesters had rallied outside the prison on Friday to press for their comrades’ release. They welcomed the release of Jatupat, who called for seven others still imprisoned to be freed.

However, three prominent protest leaders were denied release on bail Saturday morning.

In addition to calling for Prayuth’s resignation, the protesters’ core demands also include a more democratic constitution and reforms to the monarchy.

The protesters charge that Prayuth, who as then-army commander led a 2014 coup, was returned to power unfairly in last year’s general election because laws had been changed to favor a pro-military party. The protesters also say that a constitution written and passed under military rule is undemocratic.

The implicit criticism of the monarchy, which protesters believe wields too much power, has irked conservative Thais because it traditionally has been treated as sacrosanct and a pillar of national identity.

There is concern that the situation may become more volatile, because in the past week there has been a mobilization of forces who claim to be defenders of the monarchy.

Royalists held rallies in several cities, in many cases led by local civil servants. On Wednesday, a small counter-protest held in Bangkok turned violent when a few attendees attacked anti-government students.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn made a rare appearance Friday night as he and Queen Suthida and other members of the royal family walked through a crowd of ardent royalists who had gathered on a street to cheer him as he passed by.

The king, in an unusually informal manner, was seen on a widely circulated video giving thanks to an onlooker who earlier in the week had held up a sign supporting the monarchy in the midst of anti-government supporters. The video showed the queen pointing out the man to the king.

Vajiralongkorn also spoke briefly with Suwit Thongprasert, a royalist activist who had been part of a group whose violent protests in 2014 put pressure on an elected government that helped trigger the coup led by Prayuth. Suwit was a Buddhist monk known as Buddha Issara when he was a leader of the right-wing People’s Democratic Reform Committee during the 2014 protests.

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