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Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) Anti-government demonstrators pushing for a presidential recall vote in Venezuela had a message as they marched Wednesday: We won't take no for an answer.

If officials don't resume halted referendum proceedings , opposition leaders vowed to march to the presidential palace next week and make sure President Nicolas Maduro hears them.

At one protest, a police officer was killed, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said on state broadcaster VTV.

Demonstrators in favor of and against the government blocked streets. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said 120 people were hurt and 147 arrested in protests across the nation. CNN could not verify Capriles' claim.

Recall halted

The protests come days after officials halted the opposition's recall vote drive , ruling that there were multiple cases of voter identity fraud.

The controversial move has fueled mounting tensions between the government and the opposition that show no sign of slowing.

Each side accuses the other of staging a coup in the country, which is edging closer to a breaking point as it faces a recession, soaring food prices and broken hospitals

On Wednesday, demonstrators said they were determined to make their voices heard.

University students vowed to keep protesting until the government meets their demands.

"If they don't want to let us choose in an electoral voting process, they are going to have to listen to us as we march in the streets peacefully, overwhelmingly, and tirelessly until they meet the demands of the Venezuelan people," said Hasler Iglesias, a student protest leader in Caracas.

Maduro slams opposition; calls for peace

As protesters converged at meeting points across the capital and headed for a major highway, Maduro convened a National Defense Council meeting, slamming the opposition while calling, in nationally televised remarks, for dialogue and peace.

Women paint Venezuelan national flags on their faces during the march.

Dialogue is necessary, Maduro said, accusing the opposition of steering clear of talks for nefarious reasons.

"They don't want dialogue because they want a coup," he said.

On the streets of Caracas, Iglesias dismissed calls for dialogue Wednesday, saying talks only make sense if the Venezuelan government will listen and respond to the opposition's demands.

"Dialogue cannot be used as blackmail or an oxygen tank to give more time to a government that each day has less time left," he said.

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Metro stations closed

Protesters also marched in cities across the country, sharing photos on social media that showed them wearing the colors of Venezuela's flag.

Marchando en mi tachira, tierra de Gochos por la libertad de mi país #libertad #mipais #venezuela #marcha #oposicion #fueramaduro #granconcentracion A photo posted by jose araujo (@araujose28) on Oct 26, 2016 at 8:20am PDT

Organizers of Wednesday's protests criticized officials for shutting down some metro stations in Caracas, accusing them of trying to block demonstrations.

Lilian Tintori, wife of prominent jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, holds a Venezuelan flags as she marches.

Session halted after brawl

Opponents launched the drive to recall Maduro, but have been stymied.

And a series of recent events have deepened tensions in Venezuela's volatile political landscape:

• Federal courts halted the recall referendum process, saying there were multiple cases of voter identity fraud

• On Sunday, opposition legislators approved a measure that declared "there had been a breakdown of constitutional order and a continued state of coup led from the highest level of government by President Nicolás Maduro"

• But then, government supporters stormed the assembly building Sunday afternoon, opposition legislators told CNN. They stole cell phones from opposition lawmakers, threw punches and vandalized the building before being persuaded to leave

Photos: Venezuela in crisis An opposition deputy struggles while pro-government supporters force their way to the National Assembly during an extraordinary session called by opposition leaders in Caracas on October 23. The National Assembly has voted to ask Maduro to appear for questioning next week so it can determine whether to recommend he be removed from office by the nation's Supreme Court. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis Supporters of President Nicolas Maduro wave flags and shout as they force their way into the National Assembly floor during a meeting of the opposition-led congress in Caracas on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. The four-hour extraordinary session was interrupted for about 30 minutes after government supporters breached security and threatened lawmakers on the National Assembly floor. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis Opposition deputies raise their hands while voting to open a political trial against President Nicolas Maduro. A majority of lawmakers voted in favor of a motion to launch a "political and criminal trial" after his government blocked their drive for a referendum on removing him. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis The Vatican's representative, Monsignor Emir Paul Tscherrig, speaks during a meeting in Caracas on October 24. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis Supporters of Maduro break the gate and force their way to the National Assembly during an extraordinary session called by opposition leaders. Each side accuses the other of staging a coup in the country, which is in the midst of economic and political strife. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis Opponents of President Nicolas Maduro's government, led by Lilian Tintori, wife of imprisoned opposition Leopoldo Lopez, gather to protest the suspension of the recall referendum. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis On September 7, the country's opposition called for new nationwide protests. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis CNN obtained this photo showing a newborn babies inside cardboard boxes at Domingo Guzmán Lander Hospital in Barcelona, Venezuela. The Venezuelan opposition party Mesa de la Unidad Democratica (MUD), said the photos were snapped by a hospital employee who did not want to be identified. The Social Security Director Carlos Rotondaro responded on Twitter, saying an investigation is being launched and that "in no way will these actions, taken without consultation by a professional of the hospital, be justified."

Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis The dire economic crisis in Venezuela sends thousands of Venezuelans daily across the international border bridge to purchase food, medicine and other desperately needed supplies. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis People queue to buy basic food and household items outside a supermarket in Caracas, on September 28. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Venezuela in crisis Patients lie on beds in the emergency room of a hospital in Barquisimeto on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. In Barquisimeto, the hub of Venezuela's farming heartland, shoppers line up for food, neighborhoods are dark from rolling blackouts and hospitals are so crowded that the sick sometimes share beds. Hide Caption 11 of 11

Timing is key. If there's a recall vote to oust Maduro this year, there would be new elections. But if the vote happens in 2017, the vice president would take the reins.

If there's no recall vote, Maduro's presidential term is set to end in 2019.