South Africa anti-migrant demos draw thousands, plus huge police presence
Amid high unemployment, and a growing global backlash against foreigners, organisers want them to leave. 25,000 have already done so
Thousands of people joined anti-migrant protests in South Africa on Tuesday, watched over by a massive police contingent that was deployed to prevent violence and intimidation.
The demonstrations in Johannesburg, Pretoria, the port cities of Durban and Cape Town and other towns were called by an organisation known as March and March to demand that all undocumented foreigners leave the country.
The rallies, which marked the culmination of weeks of protests that have displaced thousands of mainly African expatriates, appeared to be largely peaceful.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with three of the anti-migrant movement’s leaders on Monday to urge them to avoid any unrest, according to his spokesman, Vincent Magwenya.
The president emphasised “that the right to protest is coupled with the responsibility to observe the law and to protest peacefully”, Magwenya said.
The government is addressing the issue of migration and remains the sole authority responsible for the enforcement of migration laws
The president emphasised “that the right to protest is coupled with the responsibility to observe the law and to protest peacefully”, Magwenya said.