KENYA: University students turns rowdy as police fire teargas to disperse them

Record ID: 361437

  • Title: KENYA: University students turns rowdy as police fire teargas to disperse them
  • Date: 11th March 2009
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (MARCH 10, 2009) (REUTERS) ANTI-RIOT POLICE CHARGING AT PROTESTERS AND FIRING TEARGAS VARIOUS OF ANTI-RIOT POLICE LOADING AND FIRING TEARGAS CANISTER VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN A CLOUD OF TEARGAS VIEW OF PROTESTERS TAKING COVER FROM TEARGAS BEHIND THEIR CLASSES MORE OF STUDENT THROWING STONES AT PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS CARS DRIVING THROUGH A CLOUD OF TEARGA
  • Embargoed: 26th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA80I5Q10O5OCWUXL4CJ2SEPAWX
  • Story Text: A demonstration of thousands of students against alleged police killings in Kenya on Tuesday (March 10) slid into violence with shops ransacked, journalists beaten and officers pelted with stones but fire teargas to disperse them.
    In one of the worst bouts of political unrest since post-election violence at the start of last year, three shots were heard as the protest turned ugly in Nairobi city centre.
    Police, who earlier took a low-key approach, moved in after the students began blocking roads, one with a petrol tanker. They also fired volleys of teargas to disperse one group.
    The demonstration was the latest sign of widespread public frustration in Kenya with the coalition government of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
    About 2,000 students poured into the centre of the capital from the University of Nairobi and Kenya Polytechnic, waving placards and chanting "Ali must go!" in reference to controversial police commissioner Hussein Ali.
    The demonstrators banged on cars, pulled up trees, smashed the windows of restaurants to grab food and drink, and beat half a dozen journalists with sticks. Police who tried to confront a group of protesters were met with a hail of stones.
    In recent weeks, public anger has focused on allegations of multiple police killings of suspected members of the Mungiki criminal gang. The controversy was fanned last week by the assassination of two human rights activists and the later shooting to death by police of a student demonstrating nearby.
    Police deny taking the law into their own hands and accuse activists of whipping up protests by exaggerating and inventing accusations. Ali ordered the arrest of three officers for firing on students last week, and has said he will not resign.
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