Protests erupted across Ecuador for a second day Friday amid discontent over the government's decision to scrap decades-old fuel subsidies.

Demonstrators blocked roads across the country with tires and branches, forcing many bus and taxi services to shutdown.

The government said it had managed to clear the roads Friday in some provinces.

It said about 350 people had been detained for blocking traffic, interrupting public services or attacking police. Officials said the arrests took place mainly in the capital, Quito, and the coastal city of Guayaquil.

President Lenin Moreno, who has declared a state of emergency over the strike, said Friday that he would not reverse himself on his decision to end fuel subsidies.

Moreno declared a state of emergency Thursday as the demonstrators took to the streets in Quito and other large cities.

The president said he had to declare the emergency, which will curb some civil rights, because the protests were meant to "damage and destabilize" his government.

The protests have been carried out by public transportation drivers, students and workers.

American Airlines, Iberia, Air France and KLM have rerouted flights during the protests, as demonstrators blocked routes into and out of the Quito airport.

Ending the subsidy is part of a $2 billion government fiscal reform package that includes the loosening of labor protections, corporate tax breaks and other steps to stimulate the economy.