After two weeks of massive demonstrations against police brutality brought Nigeria’s financial hub, Lagos, to a virtual standstill, government security forces using live ammunition opened fire Tuesday on hundreds of protestors rallying against a government-mandated 24-hour curfew.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



At least seven people were killed during the melee, according to a&nbsp;Guardian&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/20/nigeria-protests-lead-to-24-hour-lagos-curfew" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;citing a popular African disc jockey, DJ Switch, who was live-streaming the demonstration on Instagram.



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielcassady/2020/10/21/nigerian-security-forces-open-fire-on-protesters-in-lagos-24-hour-statewide-curfew-imposed/#25fb23a52360" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Also read: Nigerian Security Forces Open Fire On Protesters In Lagos, 24-Hour Statewide Curfew Imposed</a>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229172440.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48560" width="400" height="267" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229172440.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229172440-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229172440-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229172440-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /><figcaption>(Photo by BENSON IBEABUCHI/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



The protests began on October 7 with calls to disband an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/20/end-sars-24-hour-curfew-imposed-in-lagos-as-protests-continue#:~:text=Nationwide%20protests%20have%20continued%20since,(SARS)%2C%20which%20has%20long" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">infamous police unit</a>&nbsp;that had long been accused of extortion, torture and extra-juditial killings, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).



SARS was dissolved on October 11, but quickly replaced by the Special Weapons and Tactics team, and demonstrations continued, only to be met with “<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/10/nigeria-authorities-must-initiate-genuine-reform-of-the-police/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">excessive force</a>” by government security forces, according to Amnesty International, including the use of tear gas, water cannons and live ammunition against protesters.



Almost 2,000 prison inmates escaped after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-police-police-brutality-lagos-robbery-1dabdf270ca2f6937b0ddc49fa0ad84f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crowds</a>&nbsp;stormed two prisons Monday in Benin City in southern Nigeria, according the Associated Press.



On Tuesday, state officials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/lagos-imposes-indefinite-curfew-curb-nigeria-protests-police-deploy-anti-n1244030" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deployed</a>&nbsp;anti-riot forces to protect police and correctional facilities which some demonstrators had begun targeting, and announced a nationwide 24-hour curfew in response to the unrest.



At least 15 people have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/10/nigeria-authorities-must-initiate-genuine-reform-of-the-police/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">died</a>&nbsp;during the demonstrations, according to Amnesty International.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



What began as mostly peaceful protests have turned increasingly violent in recent days. Groups of armed young men who are reportedly being paid to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/20/nigeria-protests-lead-to-24-hour-lagos-curfew" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discredit</a>&nbsp;the anti-police movement by powerful interests in Nigeria have allegedly been attacking the demonstrators, fueling the unrest, and provoking the government&#8217;s response. Tens of thousands of people have joined in the demonstrations across the country, but as they grow more violent, government security forces have responded in kind. The Nigerian Army said it was standing by in case “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/oct/15/army-standby-police-brutality-protests-nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subversive</a>&nbsp;elements and troublemakers” continue to cause problems for the police.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h4>



21 Million.&nbsp;That’s how many people&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/home-over-half-population-nigerias-cities-continue-boom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">live</a>&nbsp;in the state of Lagos, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, all of whom are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/lagos-imposes-indefinite-curfew-curb-nigeria-protests-police-deploy-anti-n1244030" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supposed</a>&nbsp;to adhere to the curfew. That’s more people than live in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State</a>.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/jidesanwoolu/status/1318504576937578497?s=20" target="_blank">monster</a> that is threatening the well-being of our society. Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state.” said Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos.



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1281525122.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48564" width="615" height="410" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1281525122.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1281525122-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1281525122-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1281525122-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px" /><figcaption> People protest against recent violence at demonstrations in Nigeria on October 21, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229199549.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48562" width="628" height="418" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229199549.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229199549-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229199549-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229199549-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px" /><figcaption>Protestors attend a demonstration outside the Nigerian High Commission against police brutality in Lagos in London on October 21, 2020. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229214931.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48563" width="646" height="430" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229214931.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229214931-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229214931-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229214931-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" /><figcaption>Activists protesting police brutality by the Nigerian Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) march along Whitehall in London, England, on October 21, 2020. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229197906.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48561" width="637" height="424" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229197906.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229197906-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229197906-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1229197906-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px" /><figcaption>Nigerians based in South Africa protest outside their embassy in Pretoria on October 21, 2020 in solidarity with Nigerian youth. (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-police-police-brutality-lagos-robbery-1dabdf270ca2f6937b0ddc49fa0ad84f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nearly 2,000 inmates escape in attacks on Nigeria prisons</a>&nbsp;(Associated Press)



<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/20/end-sars-24-hour-curfew-imposed-in-lagos-as-protests-continue#:~:text=Nationwide%20protests%20have%20continued%20since,(SARS)%2C%20which%20has%20long" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nigeria deploying anti-riot police as curfew imposed in Lagos</a>&nbsp;(Al Jazzera)



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/17/nigerias-anti-police-brutality-protests-bring-lagos-to-standstill" target="_blank">Nigeria&#8217;s anti-police brutality protests bring Lagos to standstill</a>&nbsp;(The Guardian)



&#8211;by Daniel Cassady, Forbes Staff

Nigeria 1

Here’s Why Thousands Of Nigerians Are Protesting In Lagos

Three thousand people camped outside a courthouse for a man they didn’t know until the day before.
He arrived at court at 11:20AM in a white Toyota Corolla with tinted windows. At 1PM, the investigating officer said he forgot to bring the affidavit for the case and had to fetch it. This delayed arguments.
Crowds covered all three exits of the court, vowing to stop their man from being taken away. They even stopped police, who appeared unusually tame, to search cars to check whether their man was inside.
Inside the court, was Evan Mawarire, a pastor first charged with incitement of violence and then for trying to overthrow the government. This, after months of posting social media videos criticizing the Zimbabwean government. The videos tapped into mounting anger over high unemployment and corruption which sparked rare peaceful protests against President Robert Mugabe.
Mawarire appeared in a packed Harare Magistrates’ Court, also known as Rotten Row, draped in the Zimbabwean flag after spending the night in police cells as officers searched his house, church and office. Scores of lawyers in court waved their qualifications in the air when Mawarire was asked who would be representing him.
Outside, it was like church. Pastors from different dominations led the crowd in prayer every 30 minutes as the judge heard arguments.
“All we want is Mawarire back with no scratch. Zimbabwe shall never be a colony again. He has helped us not to be afraid anymore,” says one of Mawarire’s supporters, Kenneth Handina.
People sang and danced to gospel songs, even likening Mawarire to Jesus on the cross. They also sang struggle songs such as “Senzeni na?” –“What have we done?” in isiNdebele – an anti-apartheid song.
“This is what this government does and has been known to do. They always want to make sure we live in fear and when they say jump we follow,” says jobless graduate, Vimbai Moyo.
As the sun went down, the crowd grew. Some brought food and candles.
“We have been here since morning. Even if they delay, we won’t go. If we have to sleep here we will. We are all in this together,” says another Mawarire supporter, Allan Hunter.
The lawyers argued, successfully, that the charge of subversion had been added at the last minute, denying him a fair trial.
At about 7PM, Magistrate Vakai Chikwekwe ruled that the state had broken its own law and Mawarire was free to go. The crowd erupted. There was a surge towards the main entrance of the court with the crowd singing “Ichokwadi Mwari Varipo”— “It is true, God is there” in chiShona, the tongue of Harare.
As the pastor emerged, people waved their hands in the air and jumped in celebration. They hugged, ululated and pushed towards him. Many sat around him as a sign of respect as he addressed the crowd amid flickering camera flashes. A handful climbed trees for a clearer view.
“I want to thank you, all Zimbabweans, because we are now united. May the Lord bless you all because the country you are building is for your children; let’s continue building, don’t stop. God bless you all,” says Mawarire.
As he left, people danced on the street, hooted car horns and sang. Many cursed the police for the arrest and vowed to speak up against Mugabe’s regime.
“We don’t want politicians trying to capitalize on this. It is up to us as citizens to reclaim our country from this government so we can have a better life. If the government of Zimbabwe was not threatened before, maybe now it’s time to be,” says Tinashe Gambuza.
Zimbabwe had not seen anything like this in over a decade. As we left, a group of guys danced on top of a car singing yet another struggle song, – “Get ready mama and prepare for your freedom; freedom is coming tomorrow”. With that, everybody disappeared into the cold night.

“He Has Helped Us  Not To Be Afraid Anymore”

It’s hard to believe that two years have passed since the tragic killing of 34 miners in Marikana. The horrific visuals of the shooting on August 16, 2012, remain fresh in the mind. Thousands of mine workers had been protesting against their meagre wages and poor living conditions when police opened fire, killing 34 of them. Police say they were provoked. South African’s were in shock like the rest of the world. Many believe the disaster was waiting to happen while others say the tragic events started a revolution. What did become clear that day is that despite the courageous fight against apartheid being won, the battle against inequality in South Africa is far from over. But has anything changed in the last two years?
<div id="attachment_2969" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2969" class="size-medium wp-image-2969" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/051201050-Desai-683x1024-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Amsterdam, 30-11-2005 International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam IDFA 2005 Rehad DESAI Jury Amnesty Award Foto Felix Kalkman</div>
South Africa has some of the most valuable minerals in the world. For decades, men have slogged, under poor safety conditions, to recover these precious assets from deep beneath the ground, touching and feeling the gems, but never having ownership of them. The mining industry remains South Africa’s biggest revenue earner. Considering the importance, one would assume employees in this sector would be well taken care of, if not by their employers, at least by the government.
For years, mine workers and labor unions have raised their concerns, hoping for change. The recent Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) strike in the platinum sector made sure that this time the pleas of workers will be heard. Relentlessly, for five months, workers were gripped with poverty, hunger and cold until finally there was some respite. The unprecedented 22-week strike made history. The three major platinum producers finally agreed to higher wages, not what Amcu was demanding but enough to get them to return to the mines.
Reaction to the wage deal was mixed with many industry analysts calling it a loss for the workers.  Amcu called it a victory. But will this victory see real transformation in the mining industry?
Amcu leader Joseph Mathunjwa, now a household name, says the strike was not just for social justice but also to honor the workers that were killed at Marikana. Two years later, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the shooting is still trying to find out what led to the tragedy and who was responsible.
Political activist and filmmaker, Rehad Desai, has placed together his account of what happened on that day. In his new documentary Miners Shot Down, Desai pieces together witness accounts, interviews with political heavyweights and even victims that survived the shooting, to expose the social injustices that exist on the mining grounds of Rustenburg, 120 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg.
The film also tells a story of how the ANC, a party once obsessed with fighting for human rights and social and economic equality, lost its way and ended up in Marikana.
Miners Shot Down is a chilling account of the events that led to what has been dubbed the Marikana massacre, using video footage and interviews from the seven days in which miners were striking for better wages.
“I thought it was very important to attempt to set the record straight, to show people what happened and in the process of showing people what happened you begin to understand why it happened,” he says.
Desai was born into a politically active family. His father, Barney, was a leader of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the family had to flee South Africa in 1963. Desai grew up in Britain but his parents constantly reminded him of his roots. While still a teenager, he joined his father in politics, passionate about fighting racism and capitalism. Both returned to South Africa in 1990. Rehad became a trade unionist with socialist ideals but after his father died, he ventured into television and film producing. To date, he has a string of documentaries to his name, many of which have garnered international acclaim for human rights.
His latest film is a story of working class South Africans that have been failed by their government, a government they believed was on their side.
“I think the revolution is coming back, the question is will there be a mature enough leadership to lead it or will the ANC, our ruling party, be mature enough to lead it, to be able to address the very real issues that this country faces or will they continue to follow the same path where the bulk of our people are excluded from the benefits?” asks Desai.
He is steadfast that the shooting on that fateful day was no accident, no measure of self-defense, but a conspired action to eliminate a problem. The film pieces together footage not seen by the public, scenes of the days before the shooting.
“It didn’t just happen, there were events that led to the shooting,” says Desai.
Horrific scenes of dead miners lying on the ground gives you an instant jolt back in time to the attacks carried out on innocent black people under apartheid, children scrambling for safety from gunshots. Desai admits that miners retaliated, but only after they were shot at first.
“Just as they were nearing their informal settlement, a number of vehicles moved in quick succession to sort of box them in, block them off and as that happened and as the miners drew nearer, teargas was fired at them, birdshot and rubber bullets, one of the mineworkers got his pistol out and fired back.”
This was the scene captured by television crews, played out on screens across the world, leading many to believe that the police fired in self-defense. But, Desai wants to know why police had live ammunition and why they had 8,000 rounds of ammunition that day. It is a question that is still being probed by the Farlam Commission of Enquiry. For Desai, it is clear cut; someone from the top gave the order.
Desai’s film takes a poignant look at the ANC as a movement and ruling party over the last 20 years, by following Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Cyril’s story from the 1980s, tells the story of the ANC, a movement which was heroic, courageous, vibrant, responsive, democratic which led a struggle against a white minority regime and succeeded,” says Desai.
Ramaphosa, once passionate about worker’s rights, formed the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1982. He later became a politician serving under Nelson Mandela. He left in 1999 to become a successful businessman, returning to politics in 2013.
At the time of the Marikana shooting, Ramaphosa was a non-executive member on the Lonmin board. The Marikana mine belongs to Lonmin.
“With the political kingdom the ANC gained, they lost sight of the bigger issues related to our economic democracy and we can see that story encapsulated inside the life trajectory of the man who’s become the deputy president of the ANC,” says Desai.
In March, Miners Shot Down was released at the One World film festival in Prague. The film took top honors, winning the Vaclav Havel Jury award for its exceptional contribution to human rights. It also won the Camera Justitia Award at the Movies that Matter Festival in the Netherlands.
The documentary is part of an ongoing campaign for justice by the miners and their families. They want the police to be prosecuted. Instead, miners are facing murder charges for the police that were killed. Explosive evidence recently emerged at the commission about killings committed by mine workers.  Witness accounts of atrocities committed by Amcu members, attacks on their fellow members for defying strike orders, the brutal mutilation and murders of police and of members of the rival union NUM. The commission expects to continue for some time as more new evidence comes to light.
The latest evidence again raises questions, what kind of struggle is this? No doubt there will be more stories to be told about Marikana.

Tag: Protesting

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Here’s Why Thousands Of Nigerians Are Protesting In Lagos

“He Has Helped Us Not To Be Afraid Anymore”

Holding Up A Mirror To A Massacre