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75 Woza and Moza activists arrested during protest march
Tichaona Sibanda, SW Radio Africa
October 15, 2007

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news151007/woza151007.htm

At least 75 activists from Women of Zimbabwe Arise and Men of Zimbabwe Arise were arrested outside the parliament building in central Harare, after staging a peaceful demonstration against police brutality against its members.

Woza co-ordinator Jennie Williams was one of those arrested and taken to the central police station in the capital. Patuma Sonyowa who took part in the protest march said police needed five trucks to ferry the activists from parliament to the central police station.

'We started our march from First Street right up the parliament door steps where we intended to handover the report on political violence against our activists. It was also here where police ordered us to disperse but we refused and instead sat on the pavement. We were singing songs that denounced police brutality and we also called for a new constitution and the return of the rule of law,' Sonyowa said.

She said police took away all their banners and protest newsletters. Their lawyers were denied access to the activists who were believed to be under interrogation from the time they were picked up by the police just after 11.30am.

'The lawyers told us they were chased away by the police and that they were making frantic efforts to engage more senior practitioners to handle the case,' said Sonyowa.

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