Riot police. Batons. Tear Gas. Beatings.
There were scenes of mayhem in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare on Wednesday when riot police cracked down on nearly 2,000 anti-government protesters marching through the city. At least 85 people were injured.
Haru Mutasa, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in southern Africa, was covering the protests when she was also beaten by the police. She was one of several journalists who were attacked. Some reportedly lost their equipment.
#zimbabwe I take off jacket and shirt, see a nasty black and blue bruise on the arm i was beaten on by riot police. tough day #zimprotests
— harumutasa/aljazeera (@harumutasa) August 3, 2016
Al-Jazeera journalist @harumutasa – one of the best in the business – among those beaten by #Zimbabwe police today. https://t.co/S0wrAsal4C
— Jeffrey Smith (@Smith_JeffreyT) August 3, 2016
“Seconds before riot police charged”
Mutasa, a Zimbabwean national, also managed to document part of the demonstration seconds before the riot police charged the protesters.
#Zimbabwe seconds before riot police charged at anti-government protesters. #harare pic.twitter.com/kU17U15eJb
— harumutasa/aljazeera (@harumutasa) August 3, 2016
Protesters had assembled outside the finance minister’s office to demand that government abandon plans to introduce local bank notes that will be used alongside the US dollar.
The country’s economy is in a state of meltdown and street protests are taking place almost daily, as frustration over unemployment and corruption grows.
Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, Foster Dongozi condemned the police for “brutally attacking members of the press”.
Meanwhile, Charity Charamba, a police spokesperson said that “officers only acted in self-defence after the demonstrators started throwing stones.”
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Featured image: via Twitter.
