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WOZA women victorious on Valentines Day!
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
February 13, 2005

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Women of Zimbabwe Arise members yesterday undertook a 600 strong peaceful protest to deliver a message of love to the residents of Bulawayo and declared the day a victory for the power of love!

After the protesters dispersed, 51 women, some bystanders, were arrested by riot police. Their crime? Wearing red/white or carrying red roses. Some were even taken out of commuters at the main bus rank. Lawyers only managed to gain access to those arrested in the early evening. Law and Order Police officers were unwilling to comment on the charges being brought against the women but it is expected they could be held for up to 48 hours under the unjust Public Order and Security Act (POSA). Despite ungodly laws, the women of WOZA grabbed their right to freely assemble and reveled in the joy of it. Had they dispersed earlier they may have evaded arrest but their evident pleasure in being on the streets with likeminded citizens was too thrilling. They paid the price of arrest rather than allowing themselves to continue to be straightjacketed in thought, word and deed.

A lawyer from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Qucaca Phulu, assigned to defend the women described the officers as "impossible and uncooperative". It was ascertained that the women were also being denied access to food. The lawyer was also able to confirm that police were 'screening' the women and 10 were expected to be released around 7 pm the same day. These included a 16 year old and Methodist Church women who were wearing their traditional red and white uniforms and were therefore mistaken for WOZA women.

WOZA would like to thank the Bulawayo public for their welcome and for accepting the message of love by coming forward to accept roses and cards and for joining in the protest. The warm response and courage from the public emboldened the women of WOZA and together they have blazed a Valentine trail for others to follow.

The women of WOZA issued a direct call to Vice President Joyce Mujuru. Where was the Vice President when riot police grabbed innocent women from commuters? Where was Joyce when the Methodist women were arrested as innocent bystanders? Where was she when they were denied access to food and lawyers? Where was she when they slept in a filthy police cell with a toilet that does not flush? Where was she when they were being intimidated by police officers in an interrogation stabbed with threats? And where will she be when we go into the streets of Harare on Valentines Day? She must show us if she is woman enough to defend our right to love and our right to peaceful assembly. But she must know - In prison or not Zimbabwean women are not free!

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