[WSMDiscuss] Fwd: Hunger rebellions and political protests : Western Cape townships aflame; global report from nostalgic-liberal media (Compilation by Patrick Bond)

[Jai Sen]

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Viruses in movement…, South Africa in movement…, Hunger in movement…, Dwellers in movement…, Resistance in movement…

[I’m not sure what is making it so – other than, as Patrick Bond and others have said many times, that South Africa was already the most unequal society on Planet Earth – but from his reports and others, it’s clear that open rebellion against the State’s handling of the corona virus epidemic has broken out in South Africa like perhaps nowhere else, in terms of both scale and intensity… A harbinger of things to come elsewhere ? :

Hunger rebellions and political protests : Western Cape townships aflame; global report from nostalgic-liberal media

Compilation by Patrick Bond

             Thanks Patrick, and please feel free to also post this kind of report directly onto WSMDiscuss !

            In solidarity,

            JS

fwd

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Patrick Bond <pbond at mail.ngo.za>
> Subject: [Debate-List] (Fwd) Hunger rebellions and political protests: Western Cape townships aflame; global report from nostalgic-liberal media
> Date: April 23, 2020 at 10:18:57 AM EDT
> To: DEBATE <debate-list at fahamu.org>, "progeconnetwork at googlegroups.com" <progeconnetwork at googlegroups.com>

(In the zany U.S. the rightwing protesters - in several state capitals, gathering against lockdowns on deluded grounds of "liberty," not poverty - found their FaceBook accounts officially disabled <https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143>. That could well happen here or anywhere, to progressives, too... is there a Plan B if all social media is retracted including FB's WhatsApp?)


SAPS and law enforcement had their hands full with protesters along the R300 near Mitchells Plain on Wednesday. The trouble started when a large group of people attempted to loot a truck at the R300 Stock Road bridge. Photo: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
Covid-19 lockdown: Police come under fire on Cape Flats

By ANA Reporter  22h ago

Cape Town - Police and law enforcement officers came under fire from a crowd of about 100 people along the R300 on the Cape Flats on Wednesday as unrest continued in Mitchells Plain.

Wayne Dyason, the spokesman for law enforcement services in Cape Town, said the crowd of protesters had forced a truck to come to a halt near Stock Road at the juncture between Mitchell's Plain and Philippi, presumably with the intention to loot it. 

"They were stopped and then headed to the shopping mall across the road, but were stopped again," he said. 

"They fired live rounds at the officers but luckily no one was injured." 

The protesters then fled to nearby New Woodlands. Several sections of the R300 were closed for hours following the clashes.

Dyason said one person was arrested in connection with the shooting. 

Officials privately said they believed an "armed, criminal element" was infiltrating protests against the extended national lockdown put in place by government to contain the spread of Covid-19. 

The Cape Flats has seen looting and unrest for more than a week, with Tafelsig and Rocklands in Mitchell's Plain becoming flashpoints. On Friday, burning barricades were erected on the Stellenbosch arterial road and on Tuesday, trucks were stoned at Robert Sobukwe Rd near Nyanga. 

Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Wednesday confirmed that president Cyril Ramaphosa was deploying all members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support the police as they enforce the lockdown. 

The SANDF is also meant to shore up public health efforts against the novel coronavirus. 

African News Agency (ANA) 

***
City vs shack dwellers: Occupations and demolitions escalate in Cape Town 

22 April 2020   By Ashraf Hendricks <https://www.groundup.org.za/author/35/>
Despite last week’s court order, new shacks are being erected next to Empolweni and the City is tearing them down. 

 <https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/images/photographers/Brenton%20Geach/Khayelitsha%20Eviction/A%20devestated%20Alex%20Madikane%20as%20his%20home%20is%20demolished%2016.jpg>
Alex Midikana sits amongst his belongings as shacks are removed. When Law Enforcement arrived on Tuesday Midikana’s home was spared. But on Thursday it too was removed. Photo: Brenton Geach 
Shacks were torn down by the City of Cape Town on Wednesday in a new land occupation next to the Empolweni informal settlement in Khayelitsha.

On 17 April the Cape High Court effectively ruled <https://www.groundup.org.za/article/khayelitsha-shack-dwellers-win-court-victory-against-city-cape-town/> that the City may not tear down shacks erected after lockdown in Empolweni, at least not until a court hearing takes place after the Covid-19 lockdown. But the order was contingent on no more people moving to the site.

“These are new attempts at invading this piece of land. It is illegal to invade land and the court supports the City in its right to protect its land,” said Councillor Malusi Booi, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements.

 <https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/images/photographers/Brenton%20Geach/Khayelitsha%20Eviction/A%20devestated%20Alex%20Madikane%20as%20his%20home%20is%20demolished%20436.jpg>
Throughout the new settlement, mattresses, chairs, stoves and other belongings could be seen strewn across the sparse field. Workers in green vests and masks tore down the shacks with crowbars. They were accompanied by City Law Enforcement and SAPS. The shack building materials were then thrown onto a truck and removed. This new settlement has yet to be given a name. Photo: Brenton Geach

 <https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/images/photographers/Brenton%20Geach/Khayelitsha%20Eviction/Sisanda%20Nyanga%20at%20her%20demolished%20shack%209375.jpg>
Sisanda Nyanga stands around her belongings after her home was demolished and removed. A statement released on 20 April from the City said that their has been a rapid increase in “attempted illegal occupations” since the Covid-19 pandemic. “The land is earmarked for the expansion of basic services infrastructure. If it is lost, the City will not be able to cater to the increased basic services demand.” Photo: Brenton Geach

 <https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/images/photographers/Ashraf%20Hendricks/Khayelitsha_Eviction/Khayelitsha_Eviction-8303HR.jpg>
A resident shows his wound, possibly from a rubber bullet. Aphilile Mzayiya (not pictured) said that this was his second day living here. On Monday night he slept outside. “I’ve got two kids at home. But now I dont know. I wish President Ramaphosa can see how they treat us,” he said. Before moving here, Mzayiya was living in his mothers backyard, but it was crowded. Now 26, he felt that he was too old to be staying with his parents and moved out to start a life with his two children. He removed his shack from his mother’s backyard but all those materials were taken from him after his home was demolished. Mzayiya said he is unsure where he’ll spend the night, but if needs be he will make a fire and spend the evening on the open land. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

 <https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/images/photographers/Ashraf%20Hendricks/Khayelitsha_Eviction/Khayelitsha_Eviction-8272HR.jpg>
Anton Du Plessis said that he moved to the site three days ago. Du Plessis said that Law Enforcement came on Tuesday and only demolished some of the shacks. On Wednesday they came to demolish the rest. He said that when the officers are gone, he will have to get new material and rebuild. Before moving here, Du Plessis was living in a backyard in Khayelitsha and paying rent, but was unable to pay it anymore. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

 <https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/images/photographers/Ashraf%20Hendricks/Khayelitsha_Eviction/Khayelitsha_Eviction-8510HR.jpg>
The new settlement is located right next to Empolweni. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

 <https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/images/photographers/Ashraf%20Hendricks/Khayelitsha_Eviction/Khayelitsha_Eviction-8443HR.jpg>
After the the shacks were removed, protesters lit fires, blocking two nearby streets. Rocks were thrown at officers from the cover of shacks in the nearby informal settlement. Officers fired rubber bullets sporadically and used teargas in an attempt to quell protests. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

***

Civil unrest peaks in Western Cape amid looting and protest

Across the province, residents have been engaging in civil disobedience on Wednesday, with police having to quell the chaos.

  by Dan Meyer <https://www.thesouthafrican.com/author/dan-meyer/>
2020-04-22 16:44 <https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/western-cape-mitchells-plain-vredenburg-looting-riots-lockdown-2020/>
in News <https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/>
It has been a day of major civil unrest in Cape Town, as frustrations on day 27 of the nationwide lockdown boil over in some of the province’s most desperately affected areas. 

Clusters of rioting residents have kept law enforcement engaged all day, with looting rife in the Cape Flats areas. 

The South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as various other law enforcement agencies, have engaged with isolated incidents in several areas. 

Mitchells Plain chaos continues 

In Mitchells Plain, a truck was pelted with stones and a group attempted to loot the vehicle on the R300. Police engaged with the group who threw stones at them, prompting police to return fire with rubber bullets <https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/mitchells-plain-watch-looting-protest-riot-lockdown-2020/>. 

Mayoral Committee Member for safety and security, Alderman JP Smith, said the stretch of road had become a crime hotspot. 

“I’m afraid, this is a hotspot now,” he said. “We have a mechanism now where food transport vehicles are being tracked so we can dispatch escort services and keep these vehicles safe.”

Four people were arrested during the chaotic melee, and were charged with public violence. 

“Police prevented a group from looting a delivery truck after barricades were place on the road this morning at about 10:30. Suspects were dispersed by police and they ran into near Heinz Park,” said police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana.

“A move by the group to head towards the nearby Watergate Mall was also prevented. Public Order Police, Phillipi East, Samora Machel police and the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement officials responded to the incidents.”

Elsies River unrest 

Other incidents took place in Elsies River, where stores were looted at a supermarket on Halt road by a group of approximately 15 people. Goods valued at R3 000 were taken, with two suspects aged 32 and 43 arrested and charged with theft. 

“An attempt to break into a closed  butchery in area was thwarted as police dispersed the crowd,” said Rwexana. 

In Delft, a group of 50 people stormed a supermarket and looted it of items valued at around R4 000.

“Police dispersed a large crowd that had gathered nearby,” she said. 

“Meanwhile tracing operations are still underway to track the perpetrators. Today’s incident in Delft was preceded by three other incidents yesterday in Keerboom Street and on Delft Main Road where shops were looted.”

Five suspects between the ages of 26 and 31 were arrested for theft.

Vredenburg residents try attack councillor’s home 

Finally, a group of nearly 400 residents of the Witteklip township gathered in Vredenburg on the West Coast, with members of the crowd pelting officers with stones. 

The group had earlier tried to storm a local spaza shop after they complained about not getting food parcels. They also attempted to storm the house of a local ward councillor. 

Four suspects were arrested in that incident. 

“Police are keeping  an eye on the situation,” said Rwexana. 

SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said that such incidents were absolutely unnacceptable. 

“Western Cape police wish to warn communities to respect the rule of law and refrain from engaging in unlawful conduct. Failure to act within the parameters of the law with leave the police with no option but to act decisively.”

*** 

Man allegedly shot by police during protest in Cape Town
by wesley fester
SFilmed on Wednesday 22nd April 2020
Filmed in Daisy Crescent, Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Share video

Uploaded by
wesley fester

Uploading since Friday 17th May 2019
Description

A man was allegedly shot by Cape Town police after a group of protesters reportedly attacked a police vehicle who has responded to reports of looting in the area on April 22.

According to Gabriel Peters, on whose property the man died, it is unclear whether the man was part of the group of protesters or simply walking from the shop.

Shops have been looted across Cape Town as the economic effects of the coronavirus lockdown sets in.

Many trucks carrying food to retail stores have been stopped and looted by protesters. 

***

Baden Powell Drive closed due to protests <https://www.capetownetc.com/news/baden-powell-drive-closed-due-to-protests/>
 <https://www.capetownetc.com/news/baden-powell-drive-closed-due-to-protests/>Published by Aimee Pace <https://www.capetownetc.com/author/aimee/> on April 23, 2020
Residents are being warned to avoid Baden Powell Drive as protest action had ensued in the area, forcing law enforcement to close the road.

Yesterday evening at roughly 9.47pm an ambulance travelling through the area was badly stoned. The team was unharmed but left in shock by the incident.

This morning those needing to travel along this specific road are being urged to make use of an alternative route.

Baden Powell Drive remains closed due to protest action earlier this morning. Debris is still in road from Monwabisi to N2.

“Baden Powell Drive from the Monwabisi beach resort to the N2 was a scene of protest action earlier this morning. Groups of people blocked the road and burning tires and dragged debris into the road. Law enforcement agencies responded and the protestors dispersed into the nearby informal settlements,” said the City’s Law Enforcement Spokesperson, Wayne Dyson.

***

Correctional services hits out over virus protest call

Tuesday 21 April 2020 - 5:58am 
The South African Prisoners' Rights Organisation wants to know what the correctional services department is doing to stop overcrowding at facilities. Prisoners across the country have threatened to go on hunger strikes in a bid to be released early. They say this will help them avoid contracting coronavirus in overcrowded jails. Courtesy #DStv403 <https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%23DStv403>
JOHANNESBURG - Correctional services <https://www.enca.com/news/sa-lockdown-correctional-services-refutes-popcru-claims> fired a verbal broadside on Monday after a prisoners' rights group called for protests to demand the release of inmates to help curb coronavirus. <https://www.enca.com/news/claims-no-ppes-limpopo-correctional-centre>
Golden Miles Bhudhu, who heads the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR), said his organisation had called on prisoners to skip some meals -- "a passive hunger strike" -- to demand that inmates be freed to minimise viral spread. <https://www.enca.com/news/morocco-free-over-5000-prisoners-slow-virus-spread>
SAPOHR is calling for the release of low-risk prisoners such as those who are terminally ill, non-violent first-time offenders and prisoners aged over 60-years, among others.

READ: Claims of no PPEs at Limpopo correctional centre <https://www.enca.com/news/claims-no-ppes-limpopo-correctional-centre>
"In crowded, unhygienic and filthy cells, the spread of this virus presents a very serious threat," the group said.

"Our prisons are not only overcrowded <https://www.enca.com/south-africa/drastic-steps-needed-to-reduce-prison-over-crowding-masutha>, they are chronically overcrowded and remain breeding grounds for the virus," it said.

The government, battling one of the highest crime rates <https://www.enca.com/news/decrease-serious-crimes-due-unavailability-alcohol-cele> in the world, hit back at the protest call.

READ: Limpopo prison official contracts coronavirus <https://www.enca.com/news/limpopo-prison-official-contracts-coronavirus>
In a texted response to AFP, the Department of Correctional Services accused Bhudu of "instigating inmates to revolt against the state".

"This is something totally irresponsible and reckless. And there is no need for such," the department's spokesman, Singabakho Nxumalo, said.

"The state will not simply open the gates for inmates to walk out. Such will be catastrophic for the country," said Nxumalo.

READ: SA lockdown: Correctional services refutes Popcru claims <https://www.enca.com/news/sa-lockdown-correctional-services-refutes-popcru-claims>
"Offenders have been removed from society for a reason".

He said the government had a solid plan to prevent the outbreak <https://www.enca.com/news/covid-19-prison-screening-launched> of the coronavirus at prisons.

"Out of 243 centres, there is only one centre where inmates have contracted the virus," he said.

READ: COVID-19 prison screening launched <https://www.enca.com/news/covid-19-prison-screening-launched>
South Africa has around 160,000 inmates at 243 jails, according to official figures, although data on overcrowding is not available.

So far the country has detected 99 cases of coronavirus in its prison system.

These comprise 56 inmates at a jail in East London in the south of the country, while the remainder are prison employees, most of whom work at that facility, plus several others at three other sites.

The health authorities have recorded a total of 3,158 infections in South Africa <https://www.enca.com/news/covid-19-related-deaths-sa-rise-58>, the highest in the continent, including 54 deaths.

***

Prisoners burn mattresses in protest of strict lockdown regulations

Setumo Stone 2020-04-23 12:37

Awaiting trial prisoners at the Worcester Male Correctional Services facility in the Western Cape burnt mattresses and clothes on Wednesday in front of their cell doors, in protest over the national lockdown strict regulations in prison 
Related Links

Covid-19: Concerns mount over plans to protect prisoners <https://city-press.news24.com/News/covid-19-concerns-mount-over-plans-to-protect-prisoners-20200422>
Prisoners go on rampage in protest over Covid-19, overcrowding <https://city-press.news24.com/News/prisoners-go-on-rampage-in-protest-over-covid-19-overcrowding-20200420>
Prisoners threaten hunger strike if Covid-19 fears are not addressed <https://city-press.news24.com/News/prisoners-threaten-hunger-strike-if-covid-19-fears-are-not-addressed-20200419>
Awaiting trial prisoners at the Worcester Male Correctional Services facility in the Western Cape burnt mattresses and clothes on Wednesday in front of their cell doors, in protest over the national lockdown strict regulations in prison.

The inmates complained about the restrictions on visits, food from home, money that they receive from relatives and tobacco, City Press has learnt.

According to insiders, the mattresses were burnt in front of the B section, which consists of seven cells as well as two cells in the A section and one in the F section at the Worcester prison.

Prison officials extinguished the fires and “no inmates were injured or died”, according to a source who asked not to be named.

In a statement on Wednesday, the department of correctional services confirmed the incident but said the suspension of visits during the lockdown had not only helped prevent transmission of the Covid-19 coronavirus in its 243 facilities but also averted contraband from being smuggled into prisons.

READ: Covid-19: Concerns mount over plans to protect prisoners <https://city-press.news24.com/News/covid-19-concerns-mount-over-plans-to-protect-prisoners-20200422>
Singabakho Nxumalo, the department of correctional services spokesperson, said there had been incidents at the correctional centres in Krugersdorp, Worcester and Leeuwkop.

He said the department was also implementing security operations at the prisons aimed at removing contraband from all prison cells.

“Despite threats of violence by a few individuals purporting to be representing the interest of offenders, correctional services is more than determined to remove all forms of contraband in its centres,” Nxumalo said.

a push by offenders to undermine the state is something that can never be tolerated
He said the matter had been “a subtle bone of contention thus leading to the perpetuation of chaos in some of our centres”. Such chaos, he said, was then “disguised as a coronavirus scare and a protest over lack of preventative measures”.

“What remains fundamental is that a push by offenders to undermine the state is something that can never be tolerated. Hence an internal investigation is underway into the burning of few mattresses at Krugersdorp, Worcester and Leeuwkop correctional centres.”

Nxumalo said there would be consequences for the prisoners’ unruly behaviour. “Burning state property is a criminal offence and we will be making sure that all those involved in such acts of criminality are brought to book and the law takes its course.”

a clear act of hooliganism which shall never be tolerated by this department
He said this was in line with National Commissioner of Correctional Services Arthur Fraser’s statement that “no amount of irritation can propel someone to destroy state property worth thousands of rands funded by the taxpayer, and put the lives of other offenders and correctional officials at risk”.

Fraser described the incidents as “a clear act of hooliganism which shall never be tolerated by this department”.

Nxumalo said the possession and use of cellphones and other gadgets by offenders are of serious concern and such items would be confiscated.

“The limited movement has meant that security officials can conduct targeted searches. As a result, confiscated items have little room to find their way back into the cells,” he said.

We will not hesitate to take action against rogue elements
He said through these operations they had been able to identify areas where unscrupulous officials hand a hand in the smuggling of contraband and the net was closing in on them.

“We will not hesitate to take action against rogue elements in the department who collude with offenders to undermine security in our centres by enabling contraband to be smuggled. Several investigations are underway into officials who have been implicated in these rogue activities.

“The noble profession of corrections has no place for criminal behaviour,” he said, adding that the department had a duty to fight corruption. 

“We are part of the state’s criminal justice’s machinery which uproots criminal behaviour in society. When that criminal behaviour finds expression among those who taint our reputation in society, we will ensure that they too are confined to an extensive rehabilitation regime,” Nxumalo said.

He said the incitement of offenders was “a reckless and very harmful exercise”.

“As a department, we are committed to transparency and accountability. With that said, there are processes and procedures in place for offenders to raise their concerns and these shall be followed at all times.”

The department was determined to clean up contraband from all prisons, he said.

He said Fraser had assured South Africans that the department remained committed on its mandate of ensuring the safe and secure custody for all offenders.

“Offenders who flout internal rules and regulations will face internal disciplinary processes in line with relevant sections of the Correctional Services Act,” said Fraser.

***

New York Times


‘This Government is Lucky’: Coronavirus Quiets Global Protest Movements

Millions of protesters have been forced or have chosen to stay at home, and organizers wonder when, if and how they will be able to resume.

By Vivian Wang, Maria Abi-Habib and Vivian Yee <https://www.nytimes.com/by/vivian-yee>
April 23, 2020
HONG KONG — Tear gas no longer chokes Hong Kong’s skyscrapers, while protesters’ tents in downtown Beirut have been dismantled. In Delhi, the odd plastic fork and tattered blanket are all that remain of the sit-in that once throttled one of the city’s busiest highways.

Around the globe, the coronavirus pandemic has stilled the anti-establishment protests that erupted last year, bringing months of marches, rallies and riots to a sudden halt. Now, like everything else in the world, the protests face the unanswerable question of what happens next.

How long the pandemic lasts, and how governments and activists respond, will dictate whether the interruption represents a fleeting pause, a moment of metamorphosis, or an unceremonious end for some of the most widespread mass mobilizations in recent history.

The challenges are apparent. Millions of protesters are hunkered down at home, hemmed in by sweeping quarantines and fears for their own health. The daily burden of acquiring face masks or food overshadows debates about corruption and abuse of power.

Almost every government has restricted mass gatherings, ostensibly protecting public health but potentially also constraining future mobilization. Some have used the outbreak to consolidate power <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/world/europe/coronavirus-governments-power.html> or arrest opponents.

But the pandemic’s economic toll, as well as the crises of trust it has inspired in many governments, could fuel fresh outrage. Already, people from Washington State to Peru to Paris have defied lockdown measures they say threaten their jobs, housing and food supplies.

Protesters have also found new ways to express their discontent. Chilean activists have projected images of crowds <https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/quarantined-chileans-keeping-protest-movement-alive-200414122141809.html> onto empty streets. In Hong Kong, a union of medical workers, born out of the pro-democracy protests, went on strike <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/world/asia/hong-kong-coronavirus-china-border.html> to criticize the government’s outbreak response. Worldwide, people have organized online workshops, banged pots and pans and organized socially distanced rallies.

“It is a rest time, but it’s definitely not the end of the movement,” said Isaac Cheng, a student leader of Demosisto, a prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy group.

The Hong Kong protests <https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/hong-kong-protests> were among the first to feel the chilling effects of the virus.

The protests began in June, to oppose a bill that would have allowed extraditions from Hong Kong to mainland China. They soon spiraled <https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/world/asia/hong-kong-protests-arc.html> into some of the largest in Hong Kong’s history, with millions marching to denounce police brutality and Beijing’s growing influence over the city.

But in January, as news spread of a mysterious virus in China, many grew leery of crowds. The freeze became official in March, when officials banned public gatherings of more than four people. Since then, police have arrested attendees of sporadic protests.

“What can we do?” said Max Chung, an activist who was arrested last July <https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3020384/key-figure-behind-yuen-long-march-max-chung-arrested> after organizing a protest of hundreds of thousands of people. “When the time is right, of course I will organize another protest. But it is impossible right now.”

A combination of top-down mandates and grass-roots hesitation has paralyzed protests elsewhere.

In Algeria, twice-weekly street protests that roiled the country for more than a year dried up in March, as protesters agreed to focus on fighting the virus — a decision solidified by the country’s new ban on public demonstrations <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-algeria-protests/algeria-bans-street-marches-due-to-virus-some-protesters-unswayed-idUSKBN2143UH>.

As awareness of the virus spread in Beirut, protesters at first donned masks to chant against corruption and religious sectarianism. But they dispersed in the face of a nationwide lockdown, and last month, security forces dismantled encampments where protesters had slept, held teach-ins and danced to revolutionary anthems.

Attempts to defy the restrictions have met backlash from not only the government but also allies. After opponents of an anti-Muslim law <https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/world/asia/india-protests-citizenship-muslims.html> in India said they would continue protesting during lockdown, even supporters criticized them as recklesss

The restrictions on gatherings are not limited to countries that had been fending off mass movements, said Clément Voule, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association.

“I haven’t heard of any countries currently where people are able to exercise fully these rights,” he said.

While caution is necessary, protesters’ natural fear of the virus could lead them to accept or even embrace restrictions with far-reaching consequences, he said.

As streets and public squares have emptied, governments have already begun reintroducing some of the very measures that set off previous protests.

Ecuador had burst into violence in October, when the president, Lenín Moreno, announced the elimination of a longstanding fuel subsidy. At least 10 people died, and Mr. Moreno backtracked. But on Monday, the country’s energy minister renewed a call to revoke it.

In Hong Kong, the police on Saturday abruptly arrested <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/18/world/asia/hong-kong-arrests.html> 15 prominent pro-democracy activists — the biggest roundup of opposition leaders in recent memory. The arrests followed several weeks of unusually aggressive rhetoric <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/asia/coronavirus-hong-kong-protests.html> from the Chinese Communist Party asserting its control over Hong Kong, a semiautonomous territory with its own constitution.

Some Hong Kongers have been particularly concerned by renewed calls from Beijing for the city to enact antitreason and subversion laws. A previous push to do so in 2003 failed after mass protests <https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/02/world/security-laws-target-of-huge-hong-kong-protest.html>.

____________________________

Jai Sen

Independent researcher, editor; Senior Fellow at the School of International Development and Globalisation Studies at the University of Ottawa

jai.sen at cacim.net <mailto:jai.sen at cacim.net>
Now based in New Delhi, India (+91-98189 11325) and in Ottawa, Canada, on unceded and unsurrendered Anishinaabe territory (+1-613-282 2900) 

CURRENT / RECENT publications :

Jai Sen, ed, 2018a – The Movements of Movements, Part 2 : Rethinking Our Dance. Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
Jai Sen, ed, 2018b – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ? (Indian edition). New Delhi : AuthorsUpfront, in collaboration with OpenWord and PM Press.  Hard copy available at MOM1AmazonIN <https://www.amazon.in/dp/9387280101/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522884070&sr=8-2&keywords=movements+of+movements+jai+sen>, MOM1Flipkart <https://www.flipkart.com/the-movements-of-movements/p/itmf3zg7h79ecpgj?pid=9789387280106&lid=LSTBOK9789387280106NBA1CH&marketplace=FLIPKART&srno=s_1_1&otracker=search&fm=SEARCH&iid=ff35b702-e6a8-4423-b014-16c84f6f0092.9789387280106.SEARCH&ppt=Search%20Page>, and MOM1AUpFront <http://www.authorsupfront.com/movements.htm>
Jai Sen, ed, 2017 – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ?.  New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press.  Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
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