- Title: 'They can't defeat the people' - Zimbabwe opposition after protest clampdown
- Date: 16th August 2019
- Summary: HARARE, ZIMBABWE (AUGUST 16, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF MAIN OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) LEADER, NELSON CHAMISA, SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE LEADER, NELSON CHAMISA, SAYING; "What you are going to see is a mutation of our strategy because when you are facing a confrontational regime, we must also use tactics that are going to be above them. They can't be above the people, they can't defeat the people. (Former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian) Smith tried it and was defeated, (Former Zimbabwean President Robert) Mugabe tried it and was defeated, (Zimbabwean President Emmerson) Mnangagwa is trying it and he will be defeated." VARIOUS OF MDC VICE PRESIDENT TENDAI BITI (IN SUIT AND WEARING EYEGLASSES) LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE LEADER, NELSON CHAMISA, SAYING; "Today we didn't want to risk people's lives by continuing to be confrontational. Because if we had chosen to be confrontational, there would be blood in the streets, but we don't want to walk on dead bodies to the resolution of our crisis. We can resolve our crisis through peace and that is what we pursue." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS VARIOUS OF CHAMISA STANDING WITH BITI AND SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS PROTESTERS DANCING IN STREET EARLIER IN THE DAY PROTESTERS CHANTING POLICE MONITORING PROTEST FROM A DISTANCE BEFORE VIOLENT CRACKDOWN
- Embargoed: 30th August 2019 15:11
- Keywords: Zimbabwe politics opposition crackdown Nelson Chamisa news conference violence clampdown Mnangagwe protest dissent
- Location: HARARE, ZIMBABWE
- City: HARARE, ZIMBABWE
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASGXD1J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Zimbabwe's main opposition leader said his party backed down from planned anti-government protests on Friday (August 16) to avoid bloodshed but signalled that the opposition would continue its challenge to President Emmerson Mnanagwe with changed tactics.
"They can't defeat the people," the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Nelson Chamisa told reporters at a news conference in Harare.
Police in the Zimbabwean capital enforced a clampdown on dissent earlier on Friday, using batons and firing tear gas and a water cannon to break up an opposition protest that authorities had declared illegal.
The street demonstration was to have been the first in a nationwide series of MDC organised protests set to continue next week. The party accuses Mnangagwa's government of state-sponsored violence, corruption and economic mismanagement.
(Production: Tonderai Gonorenda, Sisipho Skweyiya, Kristian Brunse) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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