We give you updates of the anti-government mega demonstration.
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Updates and Pictures by Tapiwa Zivira,Shepherd Tozvireva,Tafadzwa Ufumeli,John Mokwetsi,Aaron Ufumeli,Garikai Tunhira and Everson Mushava. Edited by Tinotenda Samukange and Ronald Magweta
Follow the hashtag #GrandDemo
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Tsvangirai takes to the podium
Police are accountable for the skirmishes that have taken place.
Tsvangirai says there are three people who have been kidnapped at the Zanu Pf headquarters and are still there.
Morgan Tsvangirai says the High Court judgement has set a precedence for future demonstrations as it states clearly that people exercising their constitutional rights must not be interfered with.
15:18 Didymus Mutasa now giving his speech.
Mutasa explains that they were there when teargas was being thrown.
Didymus Mutasa says State broke its own law by descending on people peacefully gathered for a demonstration that was sanctioned by the High Court.
He says they are going to convene another demonstration next Friday.
The court order was very specific that we were allowed to proceed with our march from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.
Mutasa reads out the high court order.
We also want to appeal to SADC that in their next session they are going to take this matter. Those that are demonstrating will not end there, they will go to AU and UN.
15:13 A clothing shop at corner Takawira and Robert Mugabe has been vandalised and looted.
Bata shop at corner bank Takawira street faced e same predicament…..There is now a looting spree in e cbd with police consistently throwing tear gas to force pipo to leave twn
13:49 A soldier has reportedly stoned to death a protester near Copacabana Terminus along Jason Moyo, sparking renewed skirmishes.
13:17 Bloody clashes between suspected Zanu pf youths and MDC-T at Copacabana.
12:06 Corner Jason Moyo and Rotten Row has been barricaded as police appear to have lost the battle against the determined youths
12:04 Chinhoyi way no longer a one way system as traffic is flowing in every direction as they flee away from police who are running battles with the protesters.
11:34 Traffic volume out of town increases.
11:30 MDC T youths have literally taken over the main entrance into the city centre via Samora Machel with barricades from Rekai Tangwena Ave.
11:20 Traffic officers atthe showgrounds are instructing drivers to make a U-turn. A water cannon, which is capable of destroying the barricade, has driven past and did not destroy it.
11:04 One of the supporters beaten inside the court
11:01 Police stopping protesters despite a high court reprieve.
Breaking: High Court clears Nera Demo.
10:59 An old woman runs as police put on a chase.
10:54 The road that leads into the Freedom Square has been barricaded.
10:38 Police appear ready to descend on the singing youths.
10:37 Police have caused commotion at the court after they descended on everyone at the court.
10:32 Youths are singing in front of a water cannon.??
10:20 With instructions from a senior police officer, police are asking people to move towards the court area but the people are resisting and daring the police water cannon them.
10:18 Meanwhile there are reports that trouble is also brewing in the city centre.
10:17 People are all over the square and youths are regrouping each time the police disperse them.
09:44 Demonstrators have gathered at the Magistrates Court as police have cordoned off the Freedom Square where the protest was supposed to start from.
09:43 They are firing teargas canisters and beating up anyone who attempts to move into the square.
Police dispersing protesters from Freedom Square throwing tear gars #GrandDemo
By 9 a.m there was a heavy presence of police all over Harare with multiple roadblocks on major roads leading into the Central Business District. The Freedom Square, where the protesters are converging, is manned by anti-riot police who are reportedly forcing people to move out of the area.
Zimbabwe anti-government protests: A Timeline. October 2014:Journalist-turned-activist Itai Dzamara calls on Mugabe to step down and begins his lonely Occupy Africa Unity Square protest. He is abducted from a barber’s shop in March 2015 and has not been seen since.
December 2015:Kariba pastor Patrick Mugadza is arrested for staging a one-man demo in Victoria Falls. His placard reads: “Mr President, the people are suffering.”
April 14, 2016:Around 3 000 MDC supporters march through Harare to protest poverty, joblessness, missing diamond revenue etc. The size of the demonstration takes the authorities by surprise. Riot police were out in full force but did not attack the demonstrators.
April 20:Pastor Evan Mawarire records his first #ThisFlag video and launches a game-changing online protest movement.
Report originally published on News24
Police brutality: A Timeline