Soldiers beat protestors in Zimbabwe marches

AN anti-government strike yesterday shut down much of Zimbabwe’s economy on the second day of a national week of protest called against the increasingly repressive rule of President Robert Mugabe.

Opposition party officials who called for the protests vowed to press on with protests despite a crackdown by security forces.

Police and troops have moved quickly to crush street demonstrations, arresting scores of protesters and opposition leaders under Draconian security laws that allow the government to ban any gathering.

Tear gas was fired by police in the western Harare township of Warren Park as people gathered in the streets, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said.

To quash protests, armed police and soldiers police have beaten demonstrators with batons and rifle butts and dispersed crowds with clouds of tear gas.

The strikes effectively shut down commerce in major cities, crippling an economy already hovering on the brink of collapse.

There are severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel, hard currency and even local currency.

The EU warned Mugabe not to crack down on protest urging calm instead.

It also called on demonstrators to demonstrate peacefully and urged opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to resume talks with Mugabe on resolving the crisis.

Tsvangirai is currently on trial for treason along with two senior opposition officials for allegedly plotting to assassinate Mugabe.

They deny the charges, saying the government has tried to frame them.