Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on violence against peaceful protestors in Harare half a dozen) sheltering in Truworths’ doorway, and hid behind two black women. Their bodies screened me from view and the thugs moved on. At this point I noticed that my head was bleeding. I thought how similar this was to Jews in Nazi Germany. Then we noticed tear gas. The three of us huddled together covering our faces with my towel. When the street calmed down after about 5 minutes, we made our way down First Street, holding the towel over our faces because of the tear gas. The two women were kind and were concerned about my wound and about my safety. Eventually I met up with a friend and the two women who had shielded me said that now that I was with a friend they could leave me with her. I asked my friend to go with me to the Emergency Centre at Baines Ave. She did and I had 3 stitches to a cut in my head, as well as head X rays. While I was there I met a friend – Trish Swift – who said that she had been attacked whilst helping a man who was being beaten up. She was beaten and also head butted just above her left eye. Her eye was completely closed because of the swelling. She needed stitching to this wound. She said that the police only started to intervene once people were being beaten up. When I got home I counted the number of times I had been hit or kicked. I was attacked at least 8-9 times. The kick mark on my upper thigh even showed the outline of the toes of the man who kicked me. This was vicious and prolonged attack. I was an unarmed woman who was clearly not fighting back. Another friend, Pip Curling, apparently recognised several ‘street kids’ in the attacking mob. What is significant to me about this attack on the marchers is: a) that it was unprovoked – it had been completely peaceful until it was attacked. b) that the march was for peace and it was premeditatively attacked by armed men emanating from ZANU (PF) headquarters. c) that armed young men chased and attacked unarmed men, women and children. d) that whites were specifically targeted e) that people who were helping other people – such as my friend and I –were attacked whilst doing this. This is one of the lowest of the low levels of behaviour in my opinion. f) that the above a) – e) was planned and supported by our government. I believe that President Mugabe is greatly responsible for what happened at the march through his statements threatening “death” and “very, very, very, severe violence” to his political opponents. This incites people to the kind of violence we saw on the peace march. I believe that Parliament should impeach him for inciting violence, because by doing this he is acting unconstitutionally. Since the violent attack on the Peace March last Saturday by ZANU (PF) war veterans/supporters, there have been so many kind and generous responses by people both in Zimbabwe and overseas. Their response brings home to me that in the midst of the hate and violence of a small number of people on Saturday, there are many people whose hearts have been deeply touched by what happened. And it seems increasingly to me that the kindness and compassion that has welled up this week, dwarfs the violence and anger of the few ZANU (PF) war veterans/supporters who chased and beat up unarmed men, women and children. For example, two black women hid me from the view of the ZANU (PF) war veterans after I had been beaten up. They were very concerned about my head wound, and stayed with me until I found a friend whom I could walk back with. At the Baines Avenue Emergency Services, where the staff were great, two other friends arrived, one of whom had been beaten up and also needed stitching. She had been head butted above her eye whilst helping a man who was being beaten up by the ZANU (PF) war veterans. We sat on the beds sharing Cokes and bananas and directed loving kindness to the injured parts of our bodies, while my friend and I were stitched up. It was all rather family and supportive amidst the iodine and blood. - 22 -