This Saturday, Angolan police staged a protest against vandalism and social security laws that ended with the arrest of several activists and the intimidation of journalists, Lusa said from the scene.
The demonstration was called by several civil and political associations against vandalism and national security laws, which activists say contain “ambiguous provisions that restrict freedoms” and infringe on citizens’ fundamental rights.
At a designated staging area near the Santa Ana Cemetery, about two dozen protesters showed up and laid out several signs on the ground, waiting for more activists to arrive, always under police surveillance, but the protest attempt ended after an hour and a half with arrests and intimidation of journalists covering it.
Matulunga Kinanga from Participating Civil Society said the aim of the civil platform of which his organisation is a part is to “defend rights”, especially in relation to Law 18/24 (the Law on Crimes of Vandalism against Public Goods and Services), which the young man said prosecutes promoters of civil activity and aims to restrict freedom of speech.
“We decided to challenge this law and presented a precautionary measure in court and in the office of the President of the Republic in order to analyze the social purpose of this law (…), which is extremely violent from the point of view of social and democratic values,” the activist criticized.
Asked about the fact that there were few protesters at the staging area where the march was supposed to start towards Largo 1. de Maio, the central point of Luanda, Matulunga Kinanga stressed that “all demonstrations are suppressed” because people “fear police violence” that “could lead to loss of life.” The police told the protesters that the action was not authorized and, half an hour later, ordered the removal of all materials that bore slogans such as “Down with oppressive laws,” “Freedom for political prisoners,” and “Let’s fight for Angola,” and began detaining young people.
The agents also wanted to force the Luz journalists who had covered the case and were properly identified to get into the police van and hand over their photographic evidence, which did not happen due to the intervention of the graduate.
Paulino Aurelio, a journalist for the Juventude Avante channel and an employee of Radio Despertar, a media outlet linked to UNITA, Angola’s largest opposition party, which also covered the news, was identified as such and was forced to get into a van with the activists.
In a conversation with Lusa after his release, Paulino Aurelio said that he was interrogated and asked about the party he voted for and with which he identified.
“After the interrogation, they sent me away and told me not to come back because they might detain me.
“I felt very scared,” he told Luce. The Democratic Bloc, Angola’s opposition party, said in a statement that at least five activists had been arrested, including the party’s national youth secretary, Adilson Manuel.
The Democratic Bloc statement stressed that “the National Police continue to obstruct access to the detention site, which constitutes another abuse of power and a serious attack on fundamental rights,” which it categorically rejected, calling on the authorities to release those detained.
The number of arrests has not yet been confirmed by the National Police.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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