M&G online – SAPA story

Police fire rubber bullets to disperse protest

Durban, South Africa

14 November 2005 04:37

Police used rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of disgruntled Sydenham
residents, and arrested 45 of them for marching illegally on Monday, Durban
police said.

Police spokesperson Daniela Veldhuizen said angry Clare Estate residents
marched on mayor Obed Mlaba’s office to hand over a memorandum that cited
dissatisfaction over housing and the alleged removal of basic services from
shack dwellers.

“At some point, the march got out of hand. Of the 45 arrested, eight were
charged,” Veldhuizen said.

Veldhuizen said the residents’ application to march had been turned down.

eThekwini metro police confirmed this.

Metro spokesperson Alex Wright said the application had been turned down
because the organisers could not say who would accept the memo.

One of the organisers, Rasta Walter, said they felt as though their
constitutional right to march had been violated.

“Such brutality cannot be tolerated. Many people have been wounded here.
They cannot stop us from marching because we gave adequate reasoning,”
Walter said.

Walter said the police had no reason to decline their request because they
had marched peacefully on three other occasions. — Sapa