Protest - The African Mirror

Oct

2023

Tens of thousands protest against possible Catalan amnesty deal

WAVING Spanish and Catalan flags, tens of thousands of people marched through Barcelona to protest against a potential amnesty deal that Spain's Socialists must strike over Catalonia's 2017 separatist bid if they want to form a government. The protest, organised by the anti-separatist organisation Societat Civil Catalana, took place five days after Spain's acting Socialist prime minister was nominated to seek the backing of other political parties for a new mandate. Pedro Sanchez needs the support of Catalan separatist parties Junts and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, which want the unpopular amnesty in exchange for votes in parliament. Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Tunisian player dies after setting himself on fire in protest against police

NEWS

TUNISIAN football player Nizar Issaoui, 35, has died from burns suffered after setting himself alight earlier this week as a protest against "police injustice", his family said. Clashes erupted between police and angry protesters in Haffouz, the hometown of Issaoui. Police fired gas to disperse the protesters who had gathered in front of the police headquarters, witnesses told Reuters. Issaoui, a former player for top-flight side US Monastir and a father of four, published a video on Facebook in which he said the reason for his protest was being falsely accused of terrorism in Haffouz, Kairouan, central Tunisia. The striker,…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Artist moves into rubbish skip in protest at ‘crazy’ London costs

WORLD

NATALIE THOMAS AN artist has built a home in a rubbish skip in London and plans to live in it for a year, seeking to draw attention to the "crazy" price of renting a room in Britain's capital during a cost of living crisis. Harrison Marshall, 28, moved into the specially-adapted skip on a patch of grass in Bermondsey, south London a month ago, explaining that it was the only way he could afford to live in the central area near where he works. Returning to the city after a period abroad, he said he struggled to find somewhere to…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenyans protest against Chinese competitor’s cheap prices

NEWS

DUNCAN MIRIRI MORE than a thousand Kenyan traders protested in the capital Nairobi against a new Chinese-owned retail shop they accuse of undercutting them with ultra-low prices. Traders in Kenya and other rapidly growing economies in Africa have protested periodically against their Chinese competitors. China is Africa's top trading partner and more than 1 million Chinese are estimated to reside on the continent. Kenya's relationship with China was in focus during last year's presidential election, won by William Ruto. Ruto promised to publish government contracts with China agreed upon under his predecessor and to deport Chinese nationals working illegally. The…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

Tunisian judges suspend strike

NEWS

THREE Tunisian judges' unions have decided to suspend a four-week-long strike started in protest at Tunisian President Kais Saied's dismissal of 57 judges on June 1, they said. Saied had accused the judges of corruption and protecting terrorists, charges which the Tunisian Judges' Association said were mostly politically motivated.

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

Libya PM draws crowd for mass wedding and protest against parliament

NEWS

SEVERAL thousand Libyans packed a Tripoli square late for a state-funded mass wedding celebration that also drew supporters of transitional Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and protesters against the eastern-based parliament. Dbeibah was installed in March through a U.N.-backed process to head a unity government after years of division between rival administrations in the civil war and to prepare for an election. The election is planned for December 24 but there is controversy over parliament's handling of a law for the vote to take place and analysts fear the jockeying among rival factions could unravel the peace process. Libya's unity government…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Eritrean refugees protest in camps

NEWS

DAWIT ENDESHAW and AYENAT MERSIE HUNDREDS of Eritrean refugees protested in the Ethiopian capital on Thursday, calling on the United Nations refugee agency to relocate friends and family who they say are trapped in two refugee camps by fighting in the Tigray region. Clashes between armed groups have escalated in and around the camps - Mai Aini and Adi Harush - and two refugees have been killed this month, the UNHCR said this week. The agency said it lost access to the camps on July 14. The United States said on Tuesday it was deeply concerned about the fate of…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Police attacked for inaction after angry white South African farmers take the law into their hands

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER IN violent acts of defiance, fueled by anger over the brutal of a young farmer in Senekal, in the Free State, his colleagues torched a police van, tried to overturn another and forced their way into court where at least two shots were fired. Failure by the police to act against the farmers has been criticised by South Africans who took to social media to express their anger. Pandemonium erupted at the Senekal Magistrates Court where two suspects, Sekwetje Isaiah Mahlamba (32) and Sekola Piet Matlaetsa (44), arrested for the murder of Brendin Horner (22), appeared. The…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Protests erupt in Ivory Coast against Ouattara’s third term bid

NEWS

POLICE in Ivory Coast have fired tear gas to break up demonstrations against President Alassane Ouattara's decision to run for a third term in office that opponents say jeopardises the West African country's democracy. Protesters set up barricades and shut down down traffic in several towns including the commercial capital Abidjan, where a burning bus sent high plumes of black smoke from the densely-populated Yopogoun district. Demonstrators also torched a truck in the western city of Bangolo, witnesses said. Violent protests have rocked Ivory Coast since Ouattara, in power since 2010, said he would run for a third term in…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters march to oppose postponed elections, new law

WORLD

JESSIE PANG HUNDREDS of protesters took to the streets in the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong on Sunday to demonstrate against a new national security law imposed by China and the postponement of legislative elections. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam postponed the September 6 election for seats in the city's Legislative Council for a year in July because of a spike in coronavirus cases. The move dealt a blow to the pro-democracy opposition who hoped to win a historic majority in the Council, where only half the seats are directly elected and the other half are appointed members who…