Senegal - Demonstrators Defy Ban - NYTimes.com Opponents of President Abdoulaye Wade's bid for a third term in office defied a government ban on Wednesday and made their way to a square only blocks from the presidential palace, the closest that the opposition movement has come to the seat of power in two weeks of rallies before next week's election. Riot police officers wearing helmets and fiberglass shields fired volleys of tear gas. The demonstrators dispersed, running into shops and across the dry lawn of the Place de l'Indépendance. The opposition had vowed to march on the palace. The official age of Mr. Wade, above, is 85, but he is thought to be even older. Aside from concerns over his age, many are angered by what they see as a violation of the Constitution. The electoral code was revised, to impose a two-term maximum, after Mr. Wade came to office.