Protesters In Venezuela Are Wearing Crazy-Looking Homemade Gas Masks

Anti-government protests in Venezuela are a new phenomenon, having only started a few weeks ago, so it's not surprising that protesters aren't as prepared to stand up to their government as their counterparts in Ukraine.

The protests, first started by hundreds of students, have since swelled to take over the streets of Caracas in defiance of President Nicolas Maduro. Much of their message centers on complaints of corruption, crime, and economic concerns, Reuters reports.

Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was arrested on Tuesday on charges of "fomenting unrest" that led to the deaths of at least four people, but that has only brought tens of thousands of his supporters onto the streets.

"The country's situation is unsustainable," filmmaker Jose Sahagun told Reuters. "The government's mask has fallen off. This man (Maduro) has held power for 10 months and the deterioration has been fast."

There are a number of crazy photographs emerging from the streets - massive crowds and violent clashes - but some of the most surreal are that of the homemade gas masks protesters have donned to protect themselves from tear gas.

While they may look ridiculous, that doesn't really matter. As one of Murphy's laws states: "If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid."

Here are the photos: