No ‘Arab Spring’ in Zimbabwe, Mugabe warns protesters

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A man carries a street sign as opposition party supporters clash with police in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 26,2016. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
A man carries a street sign as opposition party supporters clash with police in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 26,2016. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

President Robert Mugabe warned protesters on Friday there would be no “Arab Spring” in Zimbabwe after anti-government demonstrations descended it to some of the worst violence seen in the southern African nation for two decades.

Zimbabwean police fired tear gas and water cannon at opposition leaders and hundreds of demonstrators at a protest against Mugabe and the ruling ZANU-PF, before unrest swept across large parts of the capital Harare.

“They are thinking that what happened in the Arab Spring is going to happen in this country but we tell them that it is not going to happen here,” Mugabe told state television, referring to a series of uprisings that toppled leaders across the Arab world.

Mugabe accused Western countries, including the United States, of sponsoring the protests.

“They are fighting because of Americans,” said Mugabe.

Earlier, opposition head Morgan Tsvangirai and former vice president Joice Mujuru fled a rally in their cars while protesters ran for cover as police broke up the core of the demonstration. However, anti-Mugabe leaders warned that this would be the first of a series of protests.

Mugabe’s opponents have become emboldened by rising public anger and protests over an economic meltdown, cash shortages and high unemployment. Mugabe, 92, has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

Clashes spread through the streets of the capital Harare as riot police fought running battles with protesters who hurled rocks at officers, set tyres ablaze and burned a popular market to the ground, in some of the worst unrest since food riots in 1998.

Didymus Mutasa, a senior official from Mujuru’s party and convener of Friday’s protest, vowed to repeat the demonstration a week from now and blamed police for the violence and disobeying a court order allowing the march to proceed.

“If that was intended to cow us from demonstrating, I want to say the opposite has been the case. We are going next Friday to do exactly the same as we have done today,” Mutasa told reporters.

Most businesses shut down early on Friday fearing looting by protesters. Mujuru said 50 people were injured and hospitalized.

“Mugabe’s rule must end now, that old man has failed us,” said one protester before throwing a rock at a taxi.

RIOT POLICE

More than a hundred police officers in riot gear, backed up by water cannons and armored trucks, occupied the venue that opposition parties planned to use for their demonstration.

As opposition supporters arrived for the march, they were told by the police to leave. The officers then fired tear gas and water cannon when parts of the crowd refused to comply.

Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said the force was still assessing the day’s events. “We will let you know once we are done,” she said.

Officials from Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party were unavailable for comment.

“Demonstrating is the only solution left to force the dictator out of office,” said Tapfuma Make, an unemployed 24-year-old from Chitungwiza town, south of Harare.

Zimbabwe’s High Court earlier ruled that police should allow the protest to proceed between 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. (6.00 a.m.-10.00 a.m. ET) in what Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called a “victory for democracy”.

“Today has been for me the worst day that I have lived in this country, where I have observed with my own eyes, the state breaking its own laws and the state starting violence by attacking people who were just gathered together,” Mutasa said.

Opposition parties leading the protests say the electoral agency is biased in favor of the ruling ZANU-PF and is run by security agents loyal to Mugabe, charges the commission denies.

The protesters want the next vote in 2018 to be supervised by international observers, including the United Nations. They are also calling for Mugabe to fire corrupt ministers, scrap plans to introduce local bank notes and end cash shortages.

The latest demonstrations come nearly two months after the biggest large scale ‘stay at home’ strike in Zimbabwe since 2007, inspired by social media movements such as #ThisFlag led by pastor Evan Mawarire.

Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo on Thursday called opposition leaders “foreign agents” using protests to cause chaos in order to justify international intervention.

REUTERS

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66 responses to “No ‘Arab Spring’ in Zimbabwe, Mugabe warns protesters”

  1. Oh Yeah Avatar

    Mugabe can’t se the difference between “Arab Spring” or “Arab Winter” in Zimbabwe…
    It is always the “foreign agents” that are responsible.

    1. PatienceTew Avatar
      PatienceTew

      Dictators will be dictators…

      1. Oh Yeah Avatar

        This one lived too long time….

      2. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        Oh Yeah is Matrix, a dictator.

        1. Rudy1947 Avatar

          And you are Omega, your masculine side.

          1. Damn; you really are pathetic.

          2. Look … Oh Yeah/Matrix/Descartes’ new username up-voted you.

        2. Hind Abyad Avatar
          Hind Abyad

          @Rudy1947
          “Oh Yeah PatienceTew • 6 hours ago
          This one lived too long time….”

          1. Rudy1947 Avatar

            Your point?

        3. The retard is back to what it does best: uttering illiterate, nonsensical crap. 🙂

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            The retard is back en masse

          2. Is there ANY language you can express yourself in, chicken-brain? 🙂

        4. Something tells me Gerd Großmann is also Oh Yeah and Matrix.

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Matrix, Sweden “Joined Jul 9, 2016”
            Oh Yeah, Europa “Joined Jun 9, 2016”
            Gerd Großmann, “Joined Jun 9, 2016”

          2. HAHAHA!!! Qu’il est con.

          3. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Gerd Großmann Hind Abyad • a month ago
            “According to the following photo* Theresa May is actually a proud Jew”, we know that you always use any opportunity to distort information about the incident documented.
            You transforms their support of the Jewish community to a personal vendetta against Jews – typical hatred of antiseptic lunatic.

            It’s obvious why your kind is so detested.

            Remember that your attitude makes Jews stronger (not weaker) and make me more supportive with the Jews.
            That was your goal, or you just made another Faux Pas?”
            ——
            Talk about Faux Pas.
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cf45bc0a1a5f31843bba4e12d53dbeba8278ccaecfc4edc7a3134075c66381b0.jpg

          4. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Hind Abyad – Gerd Großmann • a month ago

            “, we know that”, who is we? She’s Christian;-)

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c62407ad3790ba1e75fd97173b7a54a07dadc9eab4476fee9778f63770f23b99.jpg

          5. That’s Oh Yeah, Matrix, Descarted right there.

            He’s a cancerous cell that needs to the highest level of radiation.

          6. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            When i clic Matrix, Gerd Großmann replaces him

          7. It makes sense since both have the same “joined” date.

            “so I follow Oh Yeah” – he follows himself. Quel con.

            Oh Yeah would talk about his precious mailbox a lot too. Here:

            http://i67.tinypic.com/sdkxv6.png

          8. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            C’est pourquoi je fatigué, c’est devenu un asile de fous.

          9. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            Bon Nuit?? 😉

          10. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Hi!..Oui, Bonne Nuit 😉
            (Nuit is female)

          11. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            Sigh … Bonne …. (check email .. ;-))

          12. You are the star attraction in this asylum, sweetpea. Don’t give up! 🙂

          13. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Who cares, he’s Alzheimer.

          14. A “nun” is a female monk. Unfortunately, there’s no special word in English for a female retard. Maybe “retardesse”? 🙂

          15. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            “Too many of our ‘charities’ are NUN of the sort”.
            “Don’t lose hope. When you are down to NUN, God is up to something.
            Keep your faith strong.” “I hope next year is NUN like this one”…it’s slang, imbecile

      3. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        Lebanese Christians found with bibles, deported from Saudi Arabia’ Thank you Hariri.
        https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/lebanese-christians-found-bibles-deported-saudi-arabia/

        1. Rudy1947 Avatar

          Would you like to compare the Christian actions against Jews over the last 2000 thousand years?

          1. What’s your point? Jews vandalize and burn churches in IsraHell and the government does nothing about it. It makes sense that KSA and IsraHell are allies.

          2. You’re like a vile, filthy cancerous cell that keeps multiplying. Where is the acid.

            Back to topic: what’s your point? Jews vandalize and burn churches in IsraHell and the government does nothing about it. It makes sense that KSA and IsraHell are allies.

          3. Would be nice if somebody vandalized the trash can you live in. 🙂

          4. (facepalm)

          5. Nah. Just a slow day at the office. 🙂

          6. Yes, of course.

          7. I highly doubt it’s ever slow at offices of the filthy hasbara trolls.

        2. “Lebanese Christians found with bibles, deported from Saudi Arabia’”
          If they are your kind of “Christians”, they are probably not much better than the barbarians who deported them.

        3. Yeah, this graffiti is the worst thing happening in the ME right now. Thanks for pointing that out.

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Thank you.

        4. Oh, and by the way, this is an article about Zimbabwe and you respond about the Jews. Obsessed much?

          1. The word would be “incontinent”. A rather common condition among mental patients. 🙂

          2. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            It’s about Hariri and your Wahhabi allies..dumbbarry

          3. What can you expect from one that comes from Urantia galaxy…….. 😉

    2. Drop your reverse rhetoric. The CIA was indeed behind the Arab Spring.

  2. Robert Mugabe, another honorary member of the Axis of Resistance. I guess when the shit really hits the fan, Nasrallah can send his minions to help this fellow freedom fighter in distress.

  3. Well done Mugabe. Don’t let another CIA-led “Spring” from taking place.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Wouldn’t we call it ‘Boku-Mugabe Haraming?’ 😉

      1. Good one. 🙂

    2. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      Je ne veux rien savoir de Mugabe..

      1. Why? he hates Israel, the Jooz, the “neo-cons”, and Americans in general. He also imposes his rule gangs of armed thugs. Must be just your cup of tea.

        1. While I devote myself to comment on the substance in question, so they are busy with in-depth research into the ‘Matrix’ phenomenon, or “.. this graffiti is the worst thing happening in the ME right now. Thanks for pointing that out.” (Barry).

          After all the ‘Arab Spring’ was “The CIA was indeed behind the Arab Spring.”(Omega), that’s why it become the ‘Arab Winter’…..

          I wonder how long I can elude these ‘egghead’ with my username? 😉

          But what can you expect from one that comes from Lebanon and the other from Urantia galaxy…….. 😉

          1. While you continue to whore yourself …

            The Arab Spring: Made in the USA

            http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-arab-spring-made-in-the-usa/5484950

            Color Revolutions. Getting Our Facts Straight on the “Arab Spring”

            http://www.globalresearch.ca/color-revolutions-getting-our-facts-straight-on-the-arab-spring/5379479

    3. The retarded Nazi conspiracist loves the senile kleptocratic ape Mugabe. How sweet. 🙂

      1. I never said I love him but he does well to prevent another CIA-led “Spring” anything.

  4. Gerd Großmann Avatar
    Gerd Großmann

    As expected Omega Fick Täglich Hind Abyad, any result yet or is Omega an impotent….

    Will take the opportunity to say – Burkini or not Burkini why has no one introduces the question for ten or twenty years ago?
    Today the Burkini question is raised only to divide Europeans, nothing else!

    Omega and Hind Abyad, why has no one declared them as trolling couple paid by Putin & Co.?

    Let see how fast you will discover for my next appearance….

    1. Same non-sensical drivel. Same ESL-level typos. Same vile, inbred, coward wuss who mumbles to mumble. How about some H-Cl after-shave?

      p.s. Putin domesticates whores like you.

      1. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        So now it’s Matrix?

        1. It looks like it. He keeps changing his username and avatar picture. Le con.

      2. “Putin domesticates whores like you”
        Even though your wet dream is to be his ass-wiper (understandable for an Arab Nazi moron), Putin will never let the likes of you within a ballistic missile shot of any of his many palaces.

    2. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      YaLibnan moderator, do you accept this perverted porn language here?

      “As expected Omega Fick Täglich Hind Abyad, any result yet or is Omega an impotent” Translation

  5. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    36 years of such wonderful Mugabeness in what used to be a super African Garden.
    It’s not always about colours … sometimes it’s about brains. 😉

  6. Mugabe destroys a country and threatens those who want to save it. Sounds about right.

    1. Rudy1947 Avatar

      They even have a name for it, “salarygate”.

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