Riot police called in to end Harare protest - Zimbabwe

[dArKeR]

Harare - Zimbabwe police arrested scores of demonstrators on Wednesday as they tried to protest against worsening economic conditions they blame on mismanagement by President Robert Mugabe's government, witnesses said.

Witnesses said riot police armed with batons sealed off a square in the capital Harare's city centre, trapping National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) activists who had gathered to demonstrate against chronic shortages of fuel, foreign currency and food.

A Reuters correspondent saw about a dozen protesters loaded into a truck while riot police, some holding police dogs, stood guard over another group. NCA members said as many as 400 people were arrested and taken to police stations.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=qw1066832103179B251&set_id=1

[dArKeR]

1. Desperately seeking detained Zim protesters

Harare - Human rights lawyers were trying on Thursday to locate more than a hundred protesters arrested the previous day when police broke up the latest anti-government demonstration in the troubled southern African country.

Riot police used batons and dogs on Wednesday to disperse a gathering organised by the National Constitutional Assembly, an alliance of civic groups seeking political reform in Zimbabwe. About 300 people were arrested by police and held at different locations.

Alex Machadahama, a human rights lawyer, said that at least 44 people were freed late on Wednesday from Harare central police station without being charged, and at least 78 were still being held. But he could not account for the rest.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=qw1066923181318B254&set_id=1