In a statement presented by the president of Convergência Ampla de Salvação de Angola-Coligação Eleitoral (CASA-CE), André Mendes de Carvalho "Miau," the coalition expressed "deep indignation for police repression against citizens.
More than 100 demonstrators, who were protesting on Saturday for better living conditions and for holding local elections, were arrested on charges of riot crimes and damage to public property, and the trial is taking place this week.
According to the electoral coalition, unfortunately the exercise of a fundamental right, enshrined in the Constitution, which defines Angola as a democratic state under the rule of law, was tainted by the violent dispersion of the demonstrators.
"Police action which, according to reports, caused two deaths, several injured, the arrest of more than a hundred demonstrators and six journalists who were on duty, curiously, exercising another fundamental right, the right to information", reads the note.
In the face of the "sad events", the presidential school of CASA-CE "regrets and strongly condemns the deaths of the young activists Marcelina Joaquim and Mamã África, the latter shot for reasons unknown during the demonstration".
For CASA-CE, which "repudiates police violence" during the protests, the demonstrators were "in full exercise of a fundamental right that could only be restricted during the state of war, siege or emergency, which was not the case.
Since May 26, the country has been experiencing a public calamity due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Among the restrictions to contain the spread of covid-19, the authorities have limited the gatherings on the public road to up to five people.
The presidential college of CASA-CE also urged the authorities to "unconditionally release the citizens detained during the demonstration, as well as to respect and scrupulously comply with the Angolan Constitution".
"The presidential school of CASA-CE, takes advantage of this communication to express its total solidarity with the victims of the illegal violence of the forces of law and order, and bow to the pain of the bereaved families, for the harsh, fateful and condemnable human loss," the note concluded.
