Zimbabwe police crush key Mugabe protests
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, was arrested at his home yesterday and charged with contempt of court for planning an illegal demonstration, said Innocent Chagonda, his lawyer. Mr Tsvangirai was later released.
A former trade union leader, Mr Tsvangirai has intensified his calls for people to rise up against Mr Mugabe and his decades-long rule, blamed for sinking the country into economic and political disarray. He dedicated this week to strikes and protests aimed at pushing Mr Mugabe to step down and allow for new presidential elections.
Riot police and armed soldiers patrolled the streets of downtown Harare and its townships as demonstrations got started. Police-manned roadblocks were set up along all the main roads leading into the capital, and military helicopters swooped over both Harare and the western city of Bulawayo both considered opposition strongholds.
Soldiers downtown forced about 20 protesters to lie on the sidewalk where they beat them with rubber batons. Some cried out in pain, shouting, "What have we done?"
Beatings also were reported in the Harare township of Mabvuku.
Riot police also fired tear gas to drive back hundreds of students as they tried to march downtown from the Harare campus.
