About 14,000 motorcycle riders paraded last Saturday, in Luanda, in a march "in praise of the deeds" of President João Lourenço, also president of the MPLA and re-candidate for the post in the general elections of 24 August, organized by the Association of Young People United and Solidarity (AJUS), whose leaders are members of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).
The initiative, held on the same day that João Lourenço presided over a mega-rally that marked the start of the electoral campaign, ended with disturbances and acts of vandalism, allegedly due to the fact that the organization failed to pay the young participants, which AJUS denies.
In addition to a burning vehicle, on Luanda Island, bikers also burned political propaganda material with the effigy of João Lourenço.
However, MPLA spokesman Rui Falcão denies that the party has provided materials, stressing that "the campaign means bear no resemblance to those used in the said march".
In response to questions raised by Lusa, Rui Falcão guaranteed that the Political Bureau's secretariat "did not make any contact" with those involved and that the campaign's coordination structure "was not aware of any march".
"It would make no sense to authorize it to be held at the very moment when we were preparing to launch our campaign with a gigantic rally" presided over by the MPLA candidate, he commented.
The police never officially commented on the occurrence, despite several attempts made by Lusa in this regard.
On social media, there are reports that point to three dead and an undetermined number of injured and detained that the police do not confirm or deny, choosing not to answer the questions.
