The demonstration marked for a national holiday, for the commemoration of February 4, date of the beginning of the armed struggle in Angola, had as concentration point the Cemetery of Santana, to reach the Presidential Palace.
According to an activist, Lourenço Dombolo, at the moment 30 demonstrators arrived at the concentration site, shortly after the police, who dispersed the group and arrested 20 people, who were left on the expressway, a place quite far from the demonstration site.
"Even so we didn't stop, we continued and concentrated in the alley. We left the alley in front of the provincial command [Police], we started our march, we went to the Congolese in a peaceful way. PIR [Rapid Intervention Police] showed up and started shooting, first they started throwing tear gas bombs and finally shooting real bullets," the demonstrator said.
Lourenço Dombolo said that until they release the detainees, the demonstrators will remain on the street, adding that two activists were supposedly "shot".
"One is at Beiral Hospital and the other at Américo Boavida. Unfortunately, we're not getting in touch, because the numbers are off," he said.
The demonstrator pointed out that besides the initial 20 detainees there are more people who were taken by the police, but he can't say how many, because they are "all scattered".
The activist says he doesn't understand "how a police force shows up in front of a group of defenseless demonstrators, with weapons of all calibre.
"The police brought high-caliber material, that is, they are following the order of Mr. Paulo de Almeida [Commander General of the National Police], who should be a commander of the Republican Police and is commander of the MPLA [Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola] Police," he criticized.
Nelson Bartolomeu, for his part, said that this Thursday's date was chosen as "a day of reflection.
"It has been 60 years since we fought for the liberation of this country and for 45 years we have succeeded, our expectation was to kick the settler [Portuguese] and among us, the brothers, to advance a country, to build a nation. What's happening is not building a nation, what's happening is that a party group governs the country at its own pleasure," he complained.
The young demonstrator accused the ruling party of favoring only its friends and of not building "a policy of non-inclusion.
"They extract those who are not from the party, those who are not from the party don't benefit from anything, they don't have the privilege of a house at the center, employment, [for] many things there has to be a party card," he said.
Solomão Inocente said that the purpose of the demonstration is to demand that the MPLA be removed from power, which it has held since 1975.
"The demonstrators have no weapons, no blunt objects, but the police are repressing. There have been reports in Santana [cemetery] that two brothers were shot, this is making us worry, we don't want it to happen anymore as it happened to us there in Cafunfo," he stressed.
"Our goal is to be in solidarity with the brothers in Cafunfo and beyond, to demand the 45 years of MPLA out of power, that we are tired with this regime," he stressed.
A strong police apparatus was in place, consisting of Rapid Intervention Police, motorized, cavalry, canine, public order and firefighters, and also visible in the Largo da Independência, where the demonstrators wanted to arrive.
The firemen had to put out the fire caused by burning tires on the road, on Deolinda Rodrigues Avenue, supposedly placed by demonstrators, who accuse "MPLA intruders" of being responsible.
In a statement to the Lusa agency, the spokesman for the Luanda provincial command of the National Police said earlier this afternoon that the situation "is stable and under control" and that small groups were still on the scene, without confirming the registration of injured and arrested.
"I don't have exact data yet, a balance made, only then can I advance with more data, but as far as I know no data has come to me yet regarding detainees or not. Let's wait until the day is over to make a balance," he said.
