Violent protests not the way to go

Obituaries
It is within the people’s rights to express displeasure and discontent over issues that adversely affect their livelihoods.

It is within the people’s rights to express displeasure and discontent over issues that adversely affect their livelihoods.

As such, the protests in Harare on Friday against the failure by government to deal with the country’s failed economy would be a just and reasonable act by citizens —had they been executed peacefully.

Photographs that we saw in the wake of the demonstrations, however, show violent protestors armed with sticks and other weapons destroying property. We also saw pictures of a bleeding journalist who had been injured by police reportedly reacting to the violent protests.

We condemn in the strongest terms the continued deliberate violent attacks on journalists by the police. Each time journalists are attacked, they would be clearly identifiable by either their press cards visibly hanging around their necks or by their tools of trade — cameras, note books and pens.

The police, therefore, have no excuse for beating them up and their superiors should take full responsibility for these dastardly acts. We also urge organisers of demonstrations and protests to caution restraint among their members.

Organisers of the Friday protests said their grievances included rising prices, unavailability of cash and denunciation of the bond note, corruption and general economic decay.

What should be condemned is the violence that became the face of the protests. Shop windows were smashed and goods were looted while street vendors lost their wares to marauding protesters.

Although a protest group known as Tajamuka had claimed ownership of the demonstration which they said would be “peaceful”, the hodgepodge groups that ended up participating did not seem to have any formal affiliation or clear hierarchy and did not have obvious leaders.

The protesters appeared to be a combination of angry picketers and outright criminals and thieves.

The fact that most of the protesters appeared to be armed seems to indicate that they went onto the streets looking for conflict, to draw attention to their cause.

But regardless of the merits of their cause, violence will not do anybody any good. Destroying property and looting is not the way to send a message of discontent and it gives excuses for police brutality.

Going into demonstrations armed with sticks and rocks will only provoke a fight which protesters can never win and it will not make authorities listen to your grievances.

Such action will invite riot police who will come to do what they are trained to do. Riot police are not trained negotiators. What they are trained to do is to use force to gain control of the situation – deadly force, if the situation deems it necessary.

And if they happen to arrest you, you can be sure they are not going to be nice about it.

Violence begets violence and the wise thing for demonstrators to do is not to provoke violence. It does not help your cause.