Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on violence against peaceful protestors in Harare About twenty minutes later, as I was waiting for a friend at the corner of First Street and George Silundika Avenue, with an army copter making its rounds overhead and giving everyone the jitters, a group of war vets came down George Silundika Avenue chanting war songs and beating up just about everyone in their way, and once again shoppers had to abandon their business and run to safety. There was a truckload of riot policemen watching from the Jason Moyo Ave. corner. They did nothing but grin at the people, who had by now started shouting at them for doing nothing and seeming to condone (if not enjoy, in my opinion) the actions of the so called War Vets. It was only about ten minutes later that a group of about seven riot policemen came running down George Silundika avenue, seemingly after the war vets. It was quite a scary experience, to say the least. No 5 – Account by Christine Mwaba A driving School Instructor at Lister Building on Jason Moyo was beaten up by the ZANU (PF) mob for just wearing an NCA T-shirt. A lot of people witnessed this and were all afraid of being beaten up as well and just watched as ZANU(PF) pounced on anybody who happened to be on the same road as they were. No 6 – Account by Dave Mills A peace march was arranged in Harare on 1 April 2000 and the authority of the courts was obtained allowing the march to proceed. Traffic trying to enter the city found that road blocks had been erected on all entry roads and vehicles were being turned back. One lady, Linda was in her pickup with a twelve people on the back, not only was she refused entry to the city but her vehicle registration number was recorded by the Police. Her “crime” was that the people in the pickup were all wearing opposition party shirts. The official assembly point for the march was cordoned off by police and the people who assembled were denied the right to march by the Police. A second group of marchers formed elsewhere and marched to join the first group. The police refused to let the march proceed. I spoke to the Policeman who was giving the orders to the police and asked him to speak to an official who had a copy of the court order. The policeman said that he was not interested in the court order and that the matter should be discussed with the authorities at the Central Police Station. The march moved around the Police cordon and started to march only to be confronted by a line of riot police. Holding their hands in the air the march forced its way peacefully through and around the line of riot police. No one in the march was carrying anything more offensive than placards and banners. The police were armed with guns and tear gas. The march leaders repeated on more than one occasion a call to make sure that the march was peaceful and orderly. The march proceeded around the centre of the city in a peaceful manner with singing and greetings from the onlookers. As the march proceeded the numbers swelled from a around two thousand people to in excess of ten thousand people. The march was made up of a complete cross section of the nation from blacks to whites and from young to old. The news is that the Police picked up two officials of the march, presumably because the march proceeded as allowed by the court order which the police were instructed to ignore. The march was peaceful and orderly from 10:00am when it started until 11:30am when a group of ZANU (PF) supporters arrived carrying pangas, sticks and stones arrived to confront them. The sticks had barbed wire wrapped around them. These ZANU (PF) supporters began to attack the peaceful opposition march as well as innocent bystanders. One bystander trying to get into his car was attacked by a group of ZANU (PF) and badly injured, it could not be assessed at the time of writing if he was alive and seriously injured or dead. Another man coming out of a bank was attacked with a panga and his condition is extremely serious. Young girls were seen running away with bleeding lacerations. - 15 -