Abidjan’s Opposition Violates the Protest Restriction, Leading to Arrests and the use of Tear Gas

Ivory Coast police dispersed small groups of demonstrators who had disobeyed an order to hold an opposition march in Abidjan on Saturday using tear gas. Some of the demonstrators were spotted being arrested by police. Ivorian authorities on Friday prohibited the rally, which was coordinated by an opposition alliance. Security personnel surrounded the location long before dawn.

To discourage crowds, police placed barriers, blocked important highways, and conducted foot patrols. Demonstrators were able to congregate in certain areas despite the widespread deployment. A female cried out, “What did I do? As police tried to arrest her, she asked, “What did I do?” Honoré N’guessan, a protester, questioned the march’s prohibition.

Speaking briefly before police detained a number of journalists and seized their cameras, another protester claimed to have attended the march in support of PDCI, the party of outlawed opposition candidate Tidjane Thiam.

In anticipation of the next elections, tensions are on the rise at the time of the demonstration. In July, President Alassane Ouattara, who has held the office since 2010, announced his intention to seek a fourth term.

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