Leaders of 280,000 teachers who have been on strike for three weeks vowed to stay out, although the government said the strike was illegal on Tuesday when Toledo ordered a state of emergency for the second time in less than a year.

"We teachers stick with the fight," said union leader Nilver Lopez. Farmers and health workers have also joined the strike this week.

Overnight, 200 anti-riot police removed 500 teachers camped out in front of the legislature in Lima. Armored personnel carriers stood watch over parks and plazas to disperse crowds.

Toledo said the armed forces would be in charge of security in half of the country, including Lima, during the 30-day emergency period.

Strikers want Toledo to stick to his 2001 campaign promise to double their salaries, now at 170 dollars per month. On Wednesday, they repeated their offer to negotiate.

In a television address late Tuesday, Toledo, 56, accused the strikers of violating the fundamental rights of Peruvians and said the government had ordered all public schools and highways open.

"On constitutional authority, we've decided to declare a national state of emergency for 30 days in order to ensure the unhindered enjoyment of personal rights and freedom of movement," Toledo said.

Eight million children have been out of school for two weeks with teachers on an indefinite strike for higher wages.

On Monday, farmers around the country joined the strike, blocking highways with rocks and burning tires. On Tuesday 35,000 doctors and nurses in eight government-run hospitals and 3,000 health centers around the country walked out to demand higher wages.

"We are responsible for defending this democracy we so dearly recuperated," Toledo said, referring to Peru's past history of military dictatorships and 10 years under President Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s before he fled the country.

Under the state of emergency, constitutional guarantees are suspended, including the rights to assemble, to privacy, to protest and freedom of movement.

This is the second state of emergency Toledo has declared since taking office in July 2001.

In July 2002 he imposed the measure on southern Arequipa department for 30 days to quell violent street protests over the privatization of two state-owned utility companies. Toledo had promised never to sell them off.

Thousands of teachers have staged daily street marches all over the country to drive home their demands.

Shortly after Toledo made his announcement, Education Secretary Gerardo Ayzanoa went on the public airways to declare the teachers' strike illegal.

Before it expires on June 28, the state of emergency can be extended for another 30 days.

As the first Peruvian president of Amerindian descent, Toledo promised to restore Peru's hope in the future after the disastrous Fujimori administration.

After a bumpy 22-month ride, however, Toledo has lost a lot of public support. An opinion survey earlier this month gave him a 14 percent public approval rate.

WAR.WIRE