According to Adilson Manuel, spokesperson for the so-called social movement against the decree approving the fuel price increase in Angola and the increase in public transportation fares, people expressed their discontent with the government's measure at Saturday's march.
The activist, speaking at a press conference assessing Saturday's demonstration in Luanda, said the organization recorded nine injuries, three of which were serious, and 17 arrests as a result of the "autocratic stance" of the national police.
Adilson Manuel stated that the arrests were arbitrary and added that 16 people were released the same day, with one remaining in custody, who is scheduled to be summarily tried this Monday for alleged offenses against the authorities.
"The movement's assessment is both positive and negative. Positive, because we made the information available and expressed our discontent, and negative because the police donned autocratic attire and did not allow the march to follow its planned course," he lamented.
Police dispersed hundreds of citizens protesting in Luanda against rising fuel and public transportation prices and criticizing government authorities on Saturday with tear gas.
Hundreds of citizens, including activists, civil society members, taxi drivers, vendors, students, and members of opposition political parties, joined the march, which began at the São Paulo Market and headed toward Largo da Maianga, but was stopped by police at the entrance to Largo da Independência.
This Monday, as a result of the protests, the organization announced that citizens will return to the streets to demonstrate on the 26th of this month, but will first submit a petition to President João Loureço and Finance Minister Vera Daves for a review of the decree adjusting fuel prices.
The people "cannot and will not bear the burdens of rising fuel prices and public and private taxi services. The people don't want that. Fuel is today's barometer of life in society, even more so in a society like ours where the standard of living and cost of living are extremely high," the activist said.
Adilson Manuel considered that unemployment, hunger, poverty, crime, and social inequality "are problems that worsen the living conditions of citizens in Angola today," noting that such a society "does not live or survive; it slowly suffers."
He also criticized the government's political and economic measures, which he considered "divorced from social well-being" and creating "social cemeteries" instead of a society with a future.
"Enough is enough, enough is enough, listen to the people, wipe away the people's tears, revoke the executive decree, and improve the people's quality of life with popularly agreed-upon policies, not with the imposition of decrees that legitimize poverty, hunger, and social exclusion," he declared.
The spokesperson for the General Command of the Angolan Police, Deputy Commissioner Mateus Rodrigues, said on Saturday, in statements to Angolan Public Television (TPA), that the police intervention in the march "aimed to maintain public order and tranquility, since the protesters did not follow the route," adding that two people were injured as a result of the protests.
UNITA condemned in a statement on Monday the police actions against the physical integrity of the protesters, and in particular some of its deputies who joined the protests, saying that the march resulted in arbitrary arrests and dozens of injuries.
According to UNITA, the "regime, in violation of the Constitution and the law, used violence and abused police force to repress a peaceful, unarmed demonstration."
