A woman cries as she takes part in a protest outside the CNB Radio headquarters in Caracas on Saturday. (Jorge Silva/Reuters)

About 200 Venezuelans gathered outside a Caracas broadcaster Saturday to protest a decision by President Hugo Chavez's government to revoke the licenses of 34 radio stations.

The demonstration occurred outside CNB 102.3 FM, which cut its over-the-air transmission Saturday morning on orders from the telecommunications regulatory agency and is now transmitting only over the internet.

Station director Zaira Belfort said CNB planned to appeal the order, but she warned that the shutdown decision is likely "only the beginning of the closures of free media in Venezuela."

"This is a government attack," she said. "We want to keep living in democracy, and once again they've silenced us."

International media groups and human rights activists also have accused the government of trying to stifle dissent.

The chief of the telecommunications agency, Diosdado Cabello, denies the government is trying to limit freedom of expression or punish political opponents, saying licenses are being revoked only for violating regulations.

In announcing the revocations Friday, Cabello said some of the 34 stations failed to update their registrations or let their concessions expire, while others held licenses granted to an operator who is now deceased.

Chavez's government has increasingly clashed with private media as it slowly tightens its grip over the industry.

More than 200 other radio stations are under investigation, as is Globovision — the only strongly anti-Chavez television station remaining on the open airwaves.