Plumes of black smoke billowed from the building, a Reuters reporter said, after hundreds of supporters of the coup who had gathered in front of the National Assembly moved towards there. Police dispersed them with volleys of teargas.
The crowd played pro-army music. Some waved Russian flags and chanted anti-French slogans, echoing a growing wave of resentment towards former colonial power France and its influence in the Sahel region.
"We have always believed in the army's actions and this time we are with them. For us this is joy," said Boubacar Hamidou, a human rights activist who was among the crowd outside parliament.
In a statement signed by its chief of staff, the army said it had "decided to adhere to the ... declaration" made by soldiers who announced in a late night televised address that they had stripped President Mohamed Bazoum of power.
It added that its priority was to avoid destabilising the country and it needed to "preserve the physical integrity" of the president and his family and avoid "a deadly confrontation ... that could create a bloodbath and affect the security of the population".
It was not immediately clear who would take over from Bazoum. The presidential guard, which is drawn from the armed forces and usually protects the president and his entourage, is headed by General Omar Tchiani.
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