Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on violence against peaceful protestors in Harare The small group of police near the street battle was slow to react. At this stage they may have been outnumbered by ZANU (PF) supporters and war veterans. At first the police made no effort to stop the assaults on NCA demonstrators and members of the public. Police reinforcements arrived on the scene shortly afterwards. The police allowed the armed group to close in on NCA marchers who ran away in several directions. Then police finally intervened to stop the violence and fired teargas near parliament, by Union and Nelson Mandela Avenues. The police fired teargas at fleeing NCA demonstrators rather than ZANU (PF) supporters. Many of the armed group of attackers made their way without being apprehended by the police to ZANU (PF) provincial headquarters next to the Fourth Street bus terminus. On their way the group, using sticks, attacked people walking past the Wimpy restaurant on George Silundika Avenue and damaged a nearby shop window. They were heard accusing their victims of being supporters of the MDC. Riot police in Jason Moyo Avenue could see what was going on but did not stop the attacks or make any arrests. Later MMPZ found that the foyer of the Quality International Hotel had also been attacked. Three army helicopters were circling above the city and the demonstrators and attackers dispersed. Shortly afterwards a few hundred NCA demonstrators reconvened and returned to Central Avenue where they were again tear gassed with at least five canisters of gas. All entrances to Central Avenue were cordoned off by a human chain of riot police. The remaining MPPZ monitor was prevented from talking to people on the pavement by a policeman who said this was illegal. The fleeing demonstrators were also tear gassed again by the police at NSSA House, Park Lane and the municipal car park. Members of the public said the police arrested five demonstrators who were wearing MDC or NCA tee shirts as they left the city centre. An MMPZ monitor was detained for two hours by the police who wanted to confiscate a video camera. On April 4 on BBC Network, Home Affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa said police had not arrested anyone in connection with the city violence and were still investigating. He also claimed ZANU (PF) supporters and war veterans had also been injured in the march. MMPZ monitors saw no evidence of this. No 4 – Account by Kuda On Saturday 01.04.00, I was among the NCA marchers, whom I had joined shortly before the clash with ZANU (PF) supporters. I did not actually see them coming, but the next thing I knew, just as I joined the march, was people running back towards me some shouting “WAR VETS”, and warnings such as “THEY ARE COMING” from others. I ran for a nearby food court for refuge. I managed to look back towards the UDC CENTRE corner and could see a riot policeman holding one white guy in a bear hug just as one of the “ZANU (PF)” supporters came up from behind this white guy (in a yellow T-shirt and a cap) and caught him smack across his back with a stick. A teargas canister was fired at the corner and another right in front of us at the food court and we had to close up the sliding doors, but could actually see some other people running for their lives, children and the elderly included, with tears and snot running down their faces and others coughing all over the show. The crowds dispersed. - 14 -