ZIMBABWE: WORKERS PROTESTING AGAINST A CONTROVERSIAL TAX ARE CLUBBED AND TEARGASSED BY RIOT POLICE

Record ID: 639690

  • Title: ZIMBABWE: WORKERS PROTESTING AGAINST A CONTROVERSIAL TAX ARE CLUBBED AND TEARGASSED BY RIOT POLICE
  • Date: 9th December 1997
  • Summary: HARARE, ZIMBABWE (DECEMBER 9, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: PEOPLE RUNNING IN STREET/ TEAR GAS CLOUDS (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. MV: WOMEN WIPING EYES, WALKING ALONG 0.15 3. LV/ZOOM/GV/MV: RIOT POLICE BEATING MAN, MAN FALLS TO THE GROUND/ MAN GETS UP, POLICE COVERING LENS OF CAMERA (2 SHOTS) 0.30 4. GV: MEN SHOUTING AT RIOT POLICE/ RIOT POLICE URGING WOMEN TO MOVE ALONG, AWAY FROM AREA (2 SHOTS) 0.38 5. LV/ZOOM/GV: VIEW ACROSS PARK, TREE BURNING, RIOT POLICE BEATING PERSON 0.51 6. CU: UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYING: "IT'S OUR GOVERNMENT, WE PUT THEM INTO POSITION AND TODAY THEY ARE FIGHTING US, AND YET THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE GAVE THEM THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS TO FIGHT THE WAR AND TODAY THEY ARE FIGHTING THE VERY SAME PEOPLE WHO HELPED THEM TO WIN THE WAR" (ENGLISH) 1.05 7. GV/CU: PROTESTER STANDING IN MIDDLE OF ROAD WITH SHIELD AND STICK, PEOPLE WALKING ALONG SIDE OF ROAD/ BURNING BUS (3 SHOTS) 1.22 8. GV/MV: RIOT POLICE IN VEHICLE DRIVING ALONG ROAD/ MAN HOLDING POSTER "17 YEARS OF CORRUPTION IS ENOUGH" (2 SHOTS) 1.48 9. GV: RIOT POLICE CHASING MAN ALONG STREET/ RIOT POLICE SHOUTING AT JOURNALISTS, THROWS TEAR GAS CANISTER (2 SHOTS) 2.07 10. GV/CU: PROTESTERS TURNING CARAVAN OVER, SHOUTING/ PROTESTERS DANCING AND SINGING IN STREET/ PROTESTER HOLDING POSTER "BOB STEP DOWN" (2 SHOTS) 2.25 11. GV: PROTESTERS RUNNING, TEAR GAS IN STREET, PROTESTERS TRYING TO PUT OUT TEAR GAS 2.32 12. MCU/GV: THREE MEMBERS OF CATHOLIC COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, TRYING TO TALK TO RIOT POLICE, TEAR GAS IN STREET/ PROTESTERS WALKING, HOLDING POSTER SAYING "FIRE THE TAX MAN, KILL HIM, MURDER" (3 SHOTS) 3.02 13. CU: UNIDENTIFIED MAN SAYING: "SO WHAT WE WANT IS THE POLICE AND THE GOVERNMENT WE ARE AGAINST IT NOW, WHAT WE COMING FOR THEY ARE COMING FOR MONEY AND THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED OUR MONEY FROM THE TAX TO PAY THE EX-COMBATANTS OR THE LEVY, WE ARE SUFFERING THEY MUST GET THEIR MONEY FROM SOMEWHERE, BUT NOT FROM US" (ENGLISH) 3.17 14. CU: LAWYER (UNIDENTIFIED) SAYING: "IN TERMS OF THE ORDER OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE POLICE THIS IS INTERDICTED FROM INTERFERING IN ANY WAY WITH THE PLANNED MARCH AND PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE ORDER PROVIDES THAT IF HE INTERFERES WITH THE MARCH, THEN HE WILL BE IN CONTEMPT OF COURT" (ENGLISH) 3.33 16. GV/MV/PAN: RIOT POLICE ARRIVING IN LORRIES/ PROTESTERS RUNNING IN STREET/ RIOT POLICE IN VEHICLE/ PROTESTERS SINGING AND CHANTING IN STREET (6 SHOTS) 3.59 Initials s.3 - p.3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 24th December 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: HARARE, ZIMBABWE
  • City:
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Reuters ID: LVAD91VN4IP6RYNQBVF9OJFQ3U51
  • Story Text: - INTRO: Workers protesting against a controversial tax were clubbed and teargassed by riot police in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.

    Riot police used teargas on Tuesday (December 9) to stop thousands of workers from demonstrating against the taxes which the government imposed on December 1 to raise money to pay guerrilla war veterans.

    One woman demonstrator said that this was the same government that they had voted in and now it had turned on them. She added that the people of Zimbabwe had given them their sons and daughters to fight the way and today they are fighting the very same people that helped them win the war.

    The police showed no mercy on those protesters that they managed to arrest, beating them with sticks.

    Peaceful protests were staged elsewhere around the country, and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions which organised the marches said the one in the capital Harare could have taken place in tranquility if the police had not attacked.

    Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe addressed the nation also on Tuesday on social and economic issues, but made no mention of the tax dispute that led to protests during the day.

    Mugabe's end-of-year state-of-the-nation address was broadcast by Zimbabwe state radio from parliament, which was due to review later on Tuesday a controversial tax package workers are demanding be scrapped.

    The closest that Mugabe came to mentioning Tuesday's events was when he said:"I am confident that Zimbabwe will triumph and overcome temporary setbacks especially on the economic front".


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