Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri defended the actions of his men, telling a Harare news conference: "We heard reports that looting of property had started as early as 7 am. Believe you me, we had to exercise our basic function as a police force. Because of the looting which had been reported, we did not have to take chances ... we had to deploy manpower to safeguard property". Home Affairs Minister Dumiso Dabengwa, speaking in Parliament, made clear the police were actually under strict orders to halt the mass protest because it had been learnt that white farmers and business leaders were backing it. Human rights organisations, many of whom had observers at the demonstration and the subsequent riot, were quick to condemn the police and the Government. "The rule of law is breaking down in Zimbabwe and without the rule of law, those human rights still contained in our Constitution are hardly worth the paper they are written on," said the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. Condemning “in the strongest possible terms" what it called "the totally unacceptable behaviour of the police", the group said: “Instead of enforcing the law, which they are paid to do, and in a flagrant breach of a High Court order, the police attacked citizens peacefully trying to assemble to exercise their democratic right to protest against excessive taxation. Using teargas, baton sticks and dogs on unarmed Zimbabweans is nothing short of fascism". The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace said the mass protest had been the most successful since Independence 17 years ago. “Had it not been for the police's overzealous approach in Harare, the protests would have been peaceful. People who had come to work were teargassed for no apparent reason. The police were not only being unlawful, but they were in contempt of a court injunction which barred them from interfering with the protests", the Commission said. “What happened yesterday throughout the country was a people simply talking with one voice to their Government and the Government will be well-advised to listen to their concerns", it added. ZimRights, a leading local human rights watchdog, said the police actions were an assault on people's human rights. “The violent actions of the police, seen on local and international television, translates to a deliberate contempt of court and a violation of basic fundamental human rights of assembly, association and free speech", the body said. The Foundation for Democracy in Zimbabwe “totally condemned the brutal and unprovoked acts of police beatings and teargassing of innocent civilians". A political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe, John Makumbe, commented: “The success of the demonstration indicates the anger of the people. It shows that they are no longer going to allow the Government to do whatever it wishes. The demonstrations indicate that people are far from being happy with the ruling party. We will see more of these as the economic gravy train grinds to a halt". The Government response was not to look at the causes, but rather to threaten civil society. The Minister of Home Affairs, against the observations of impartial observers who saw police brutality and harassment as the major cause of violence, made statements that earned the condemnation of local and international human rights organisations. “Let no one tempt the police ... I want to warn the demonstrators who think they want to take to the streets in order to loot and commit acts which are in breach of the law that they stand a danger of being shot at by the police", Minister Dabengwa said to Parliament. The Government’s view that the strike and the violence were the product of an “unholy alliance” were firmly denied by everyone except Government. Farmers and companies categorically rejected the Government's charges of working together to heighten the strike, pointing out they were also affected by the tax increases which they oppose. Some parliamentarians and political analysts accused the Government of deliberately ignoring the root cause of the nation-wide demonstrations and trying to divert attention by introducing racism. “This is a clear demonstration of how out of touch with the people this Government is. Surely they don't think that the workers of this country are so gullible and need a white man to tell them