DMEA: Fuel hike protests in Angola

Angolan police have arrested dozens of protesters following mass demonstrations on Saturday, June 17 in the capital Luanda and other cities around the country after fuel subsidies were cut by the government.

A police spokesman said around 70 people were arrested in Benguela, western Angola, as they had committed acts of vandalism. Luanda saw large numbers of police patrolling the streets, dispersing crowds that had gathered in the East of the city with tear gas.

Current demonstrations are the latest in what has been significant pushback against new government policies, with civil society groups organising rallies with the support of opposition parties – claiming the subsidy cut was rushed and that it did not consider the living standards of Angolan citizens.

The opposition also criticized the government’s heavy-handed approach to the protests, referring to 11 people that been killed as a result of police action.

Earlier in June, protests in Huambo, 620 km from Angola’s capital, were launched by taxi drivers and motorcyclists clashing against the town’s security forces. Some 34 people were arrested and five were killed, according to a statement by the police – which led to a "shortage of taxi services" in Huambo.