Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has warned that the Arab Spring style of protests would fall flat in Zimbabwe after police fired teargas and beat up protesters staging the latest of a string of highly charged demonstrations.
Dozens of police blocked off the site of the opposition rally for electoral reforms by 2018, when 92-year-old Mugabe who has ruled the southern African country for decades will seek re-election.
The protesters responded to the clampdown by throwing stones at the police while some set tyres ablaze and others pulled down the sign for a street named after Mugabe.
“They are burning types in the streets in order to get into power. They are thinking that what happened in the Arab Spring is going to happen in this country, but we tell them that is not going to happen here,” said Mugabe in remarks broadcast by state television.
“What politics is that when you burn tyres? We want peace in the country,” said Mugabe accusing foreign powers of having a hand in the unrest.
AFP correspondents saw armed police firing tear gas and water cannon at protesters gathered on the fringes of the central business district who were waiting for the march to start.
Some people caught up in the melee, including children going to a nearby agricultural show, ran for shelter in the magistrate’s court while riot police pursued the protesters and threatened journalists covering the rally.
The usually-bustling pavements were clear of street hawkers and some shops were shut, as rocks, sticks and burning tyres were strewn across the streets.
Opposition protesters also clashed with supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party who had refused to clear their street stalls.
ZANU-PF youths hurled stones at the opposition activists but were overpowered and their stalls set on fire.
The march was organised by 18 opposition parties including the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the Zimbabwe People First formed this year by former vice-president Joice Mujuru.
Police broke up the protest despite a court ordering them not to interfere or disrupt the march.
Authorities said they had arrested 67 people, and lawyers said one of them was a journalist.
Friday’s march was to demand free and fair elections.
Mugabe: They are thinking that what happened in the Arab Spring is going to happen in this country, but we tell them that is not going to happen here.
