|
Back to Index
MDC condemns students' arrest
Movement
for Democratic Change
March 31,
2010
The MDC strongly
condemns the arbitrary arrests of tertiary students across the country
who on Monday 29 March 2010, marched in commemoration of the March
2008 harmonised elections that saw the defeat of Zanu PF.
More than 20 students across the country were arrested in connection
with the march which the students held under the banner "Igniting
Students Voice-, My Vote Spoke on March 29 2008 Elections".
In Harare,
15 students were arrested at Harare gardens before the demonstration
began, whilst 13 others including ZINASU
President Joshua Chinyere were arrested during the demonstration
which was violently clamped down before they handed over the petition
to Parliament.
Of the 28 arrested
on Monday, 16 have been released and the other 12 who include President
Joshua Chinyere are still in police custody and are expected to
appear before Harare Magistrate's court today.
In Gweru and
Bulawayo the students demonstrated peacefully without any attempts
from police to stop the demonstrations while in Masvingo the police
clearance which had been issued was withdrawn just before the demonstration
began, the police citing a "directive" from police in
Harare.
The students
refused to disperse and continued with their demonstration, leading
to the arrests of the ZINASU Legal Secretary Alec Tabe and the Treasurer
General Zivanai Muzorodzi after the demonstration which ended around
4 pm. The arrested students were severely beaten by police at Masvingo
Central Police station, with button sticks and clenched fists, before
being released.
On Wednesday,
30 students from Great Zimbabwe University were summoned for a disciplinary
hearing at the college for participating in the ZINASU demonstration.
The MDC is
a party of excellence. We urge the inclusive government to begin
to respect people's basic freedoms of association, movement
and assembly. Students are the nation's future and they have
a right to peaceful protests. The brazen trampling of the rights
of innocent citizens is a betrayal of the new era of inclusiveness.
Email mdcnewsbrief@gmail.com,
mdcpress@mweb.co.zw
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
