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aving this room gentlemen, because we don't recognise your problem, incorrect and distorted in its implementation. We are leaving here today to establish a decent parliament which represents all Ecuadorians. Goodbye gentlemen!" 3. Opposition congress members leave room 4. Set-up shot of Vice President Alfredo Palacios 5. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Alfredo Palacios, Vice President of Ecuador: "He can't, he can't govern, he can't. The only thing the government can do is come out and and say what he said yesterday about a coalition government, and give proof so that the public believes him, so he can do that. I hope he will do that." 6. Anti-government protesters throwing rocks at Housing Ministry 7. Pro-government supporters throwing rocks at opposition from across street 8. Ministry employee firing pistol at protesters from window 9. Injured protester being led away 10. Dead woman on street 11. Anti-government protesters chanting "Killers!" 12. Ambulance taking body away STORYLINE Ecuador's Congress has removed embattled President Lucio Gutierrez from office after a week of escalating street protests against him and swore in Vice President Alfredo Palacio as Ecuador's new leader. A special session made up of opposition congressmen in the 100-seat unicameral Congress took less than an hour on Wednesday to reach the decision with a vote of 62-0, in hopes of ending a crisis that was quickly spiralling out of control with the threat of violent clashes between Gutierrez supporters and opponents. Congress President Cyntia Viteri swore in Palacio as president after the vote, in keeping with the country's constitution. The head of the joint chiefs of staff of the armed forces announced immediately after the vote that the military had withdrawn its support of Gutierrez. Hundreds of soldiers who had set up a protective perimeter withdrew from the plaza in front of the palace. Military sources said Gutierrez, 48, left the palace quietly with his wife, Congresswoman Ximena Bohorquez, after the vote. Legislators based the decision on a clause in the constitution that allows Congress to remove a president for "abandonment of the position". Gutierrez has had to deal with growing street protests demanding his ouster since last Wednesday. The demonstrators accuse him of trying to illegally control the three branches of government. Gutierrez dissolved the Supreme Court on Friday to try to placate protests after his congressional allies in December fired most of the court's judges and named replacements sympathetic to his government. That move was widely viewed as violating the Constitution, and critics accused him of attempting an institutional coup to consolidate his power. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4a8159a321dbe6adfea22dbc7774d657