Israel Campos, one of the promoters of the demonstration "Luanda Lixada", scheduled for 1 May, explained to Lusa that the letter communicating the realization of the demonstration was addressed to the Provincial Government of Luanda (GPL) on 21 April, having responded "in record time "the next day, declining the order.
"It doesn't make sense. Just two weeks ago there was a march on violence against women in which I participated, as well as state officials. There were no problems, and in the end, even the minister spoke. Why are some initiatives allowed and others no? Why can't we complain about the situation of garbage, flies and mosquitoes? "asked the young journalist, who was also linked to the protest against police brutality in September 2020.
In response to the organizers, the GPL justifies the prohibition with Presidential Decree 77/21, of 26 March, which prohibits the concentration of more than 10 people on the public road due to the covid-19.
A criterion that, according to Israel Campos, has not been applied on other occasions, namely in party initiatives that have taken place across the country, with huge clusters "where distancing is often not even respected".
On his Instagram social network page, the young man shared recent images of gatherings in the women's march in Luana and partisan acts with MPLA and UNITA militants.
Campos told Lusa that the pandemic is a concern of young people and that it is expressed in the communication addressed to the GPL, which reads that the promoters of the demonstration ensure "compliance with all biosafety measures guided by national health authorities".
The peaceful march foresees to start at 11 am in Largo das Heroínas heading towards the marginal where the young people intend to stay until 6 pm, as a sign of protest.
The objective is "to express widespread public dissatisfaction with the problem of garbage in Luanda and the consequences that the considerable increase in insects, such as flies and mosquitoes, will bring to public health, as well as promoting an environmental education campaign to raise the awareness of citizens themselves ".
Accumulated garbage has been a concern for residents of the capital, given the tons of debris that have flooded the streets and neighborhoods, since the suspension of contracts with waste management operators in December 2020.
At the end of March, the GPL announced that seven companies would start collecting garbage, but the problem is still not resolved.
