The protests and rioting began on the morning of 27 February 1989 in Guarenas, a town in Miranda State about east of Caracas, due to the increase in public transportation prices. The protests and rioting quickly spread to the capital and other towns across the country. A lack of timely intervention by authorities –some police were under orders not to take action– led the Metropolitan Police to be quickly overwhelmed. The protests spread to Caracas, whose Metropolitan Police was on a labour strike.