A group of dozens of people were demonstrating peacefully when they were demobilized with tear gas. The protesters burned tires and sang the anthem.
A group of protesters, supporters of the presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, marched this afternoon from the suburbs of Maputo, a protest held by the police in the center of the capital, with visible police containment, who even attempted to negotiate.
Around 2:00 p.m. local time (12:00 in Lisbon), after almost an hour of marching from Hulene, on the outskirts, a group of a few dozen that grew along the road, demonstrating peacefully, found the police force a few hundred meters from the Mozambique Women’s Organization (WMO) square, in the center of Maputo.
After several calls not to advance by the police commander on the ground, with an armored vehicle already on the other side of the street, at the entrance to the Polana Caniço neighborhood, within a minute the protesters were demobilized with several shots. of firearms. tear gas.
When the protesters left, the same order to cease police action was immediately issued, and most of them had already left the scene.
Before the intervention, Yassin He tried to “negotiate” with the policeexplaining that the young people were demonstrating peacefully, but in vain.
“We have the right enshrined, that is why we have to continue marching, as long as it is a peaceful march. What the police should do is come to protect, not attack, which is what is happening now. I’m very sorry, I had been talking to the commander on the other side and he had been controlling the operations until they reached Xiquelene, without surprises (…) it seems that the demonstration has to be there in the suburbs,” he said. he lamented.
After the police action, the protesters returned and there were moments of tension in the place, between Protest shouts and the anthem of Mozambique chanting, some on their knees, while others insisted on negotiating with the police, to try to continue the march, which did not happen, without giving reasons.
After an hour, with some Tires burning inside the neighborhood.As in previous protests, the police ended up demobilizing the security cordon they had created in the area, maintaining some assets in the surrounding area.
Even so, Carlos Nhiancale did not accept it and guaranteed that he left his house to demonstrate peacefully: “I would like to ask the police why they are throwing tear gas because the population is demonstrating peacefully. Where are we supposed to go? They are the ones looking for problems. Let them march as they want.”
Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called for a week-long general strike in Mozambique starting today, demonstrations at the district headquarters of the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and marches in Maputo on November 7.
In a tour carried out by Lusa through the capital, little movement and vehicle traffic is seen, with public and private establishments, as well as schools and other organizations, closed, although some public transport is in operation.
Police reinforcement is also visible on the main arteries of the city, but without problems, while some cafes and supermarkets are also open.
It can be seen that Internet services such as the WhatsApp messaging platform operate with limitations, at least in Maputo.
The Mozambique police this morning sent written messages to mobile phones (SMS) asking the population to refrain from “criminal practices” on the first day of the strike.
Mondlane designated this as the third stage of the challenge to the results of the October 9 general elections announced a week ago by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), following the protests held on the 21st, 24th and 25th.
The protests degenerated into clashes with police, resulting in at least 10 deaths, dozens of injuries and 500 arrests, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a Mozambican non-governmental organization that monitors electoral processes.
On October 24, the CNE announced the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by Frelimo, a party in power since 1975, in the elections for President of the Republic on October 9, with 70.67% of the votes.
Source: Observadora
