demonstrations - The African Mirror

Jul

2023

Kenya’s Ruto says further tax-hike protests will not be allowed

KENYAN President William Ruto vowed that protests planned next week would not be allowed following two rounds of demonstrations that have left at least 15 people dead. Opposition leader Raila Odinga's party called earlier in the day for three more days of protests from next Wednesday against tax hikes that Ruto signed into law last month. Ruto beat Odinga in last August's election. He pledged to be a champion for the poor, but his critics say the tax rises will hurt Kenyans already struggling to afford basic commodities such as maize flour. "Elections ended August 9 last year. You cannot look for…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenya police, crowds clash in third wave of price rise protests

NEWS

AYENAT MERSIE PROTESTERS threw stones at police in Kenya's capital and attackers set fire to an office run by the president's party in a western town during a third wave of demonstrations organised by his opponents. Thousands joined marches called by opposition leader Raila Odinga against high living costs and alleged fraud in last year's vote. The government has said the vote was fair, defended its economic record and called for the protests to stop. Violence also marred Monday's protests, and the first demonstrations the Monday before that, prompting pleas for calm from civic leaders who said they feared a descent into…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Police fire tear gas at supporters of Senegal opposition leader Sonko

NEWS

NGOUDA DIONE POLICE fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko after he left the court in the capital Dakar where hearings are underway in a libel case against him. The demonstrations are the latest sign of unrest in the West African country where elections next year could pit Sonko against President Macky Sall, if the president seeks a third term, a move that opponents say is unconstitutional. Sall, 61, has not ruled out running in the election which the government said on Thursday would take place on February 25, 2024. Sonko supporters and…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Iran carries out second execution linked to wave of popular protests

WORLD

PARISA HAFEZI THE Islamic Republic hanged a man in public who state media said had been convicted of killing two members of the security forces, the second execution in less than a week of people involved in protests against Iran's ruling theocracy. Nationwide unrest erupted three months ago after the death while in detention of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code laws. The demonstrations have turned into a popular revolt by furious Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the worst legitimacy challenges to the Shi'ite clerical elite…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

COP27 key outcomes: progress on compensation for developing countries, but more needed on climate justice and equity

ENVIRONMENT

THERE were high expectations for COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP conferences broadly provide a platform for the negotiation of international climate change agreements. This was to be the first COP held in Africa since 2016. It was also framed as the implementation of COP, which would lead to action. Authors IMRAAN VALODIA, Pro Vice-Chancellor: Climate, Sustainability and Inequality and Director Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand JULIA TAYLOR, Researcher: Climate and Inequality, University of the Witwatersrand COP27 was expected to make progress on “loss and damage”.…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Revival of Algerian street movement

NEWS

THOUSANDS of Algerians demonstrated against the political and military elite in cities across the country for a second successive Friday, as the United Nations human rights body voiced concern at what it called a crackdown on protesters. The demonstrations mark a resumption of the street protest movement, calling for the old political establishment to depart and the army to quit politics, which suspended its weekly marches a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Police have not stopped the protests but maintain a heavy street presence and the spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said there…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar police fire into air to disperse protests as Suu Kyi’s lawyer says access denied

WORLD

POLICE dispersed protesters in Myanmar's two biggest cities yesterday, firing stun grenades, rubber bullets and guns into the air in a crackdown on weeks of demonstrations that have challenged the army's bid to re-impose its rule. At least one person was wounded in the protests in the main city of Yangon, a witness said, and several people were hurt in the second city of Mandalay. Police were not immediately available for comment. The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the army seized power on February 1 and detained government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Tunisian police fire water cannons as protesters

NEWS

TAREK AMARA TUNISIAN riot police turned water cannons on protesters outside the heavily barricaded parliament as they tried to quell the largest rally yet since demonstrations began this month over inequality and police abuses. Hundreds of protesters had marched from the Ettadhamen district of the capital where young people have clashed nightly with police for more than a week, and were joined by hundreds more near the parliament. Police blocked the march with barricades to prevent protesters approaching the parliament building where lawmakers were holding a tense debate on a controversial government reshuffle. "The government that only uses police to…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Sudanese police fire tear gas to disperse hundreds gathered across the capital

NEWS

SUDANESE security forces fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of people in demonstrations across the capital Khartoum, as crowds gathered to put pressure on the government to improve conditions and push ahead with reform. The rallies came just days after President Donald Trump announced the United States would remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that dates back to toppled ruler Omar al-Bashir and made it difficult for the transitional government to access urgently needed debt relief and foreign financing. Calls for protests started days earlier, aiming to coincide with the anniversary of the overthrow…