Latest news with #policeviolence
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Chilling Photos Capture Police Shooting Man, Fueling Anger in Kenya
The demonstrators had gathered to protest police violence. They flooded the streets of Nairobi, Kenya, angry over the death of a man in police custody. As two officers approached a man at the protest, he turned to move away. Moments later, one of the officers shot him in the head. The man, identified by authorities as Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, survived the shooting on Tuesday. But the moment, captured in a series of photographs, has inflamed public fury in Kenya over a pattern of police aggression. Photos of the exchange show an orange muzzle flash on the side of Mr. Kariuki's temple in the instant after the officer fired his gun. Another picture shows Mr. Kariuki falling and then slumping to the ground, with the side of his head bleeding. Tuesday's demonstration, and the resulting violence, is the latest setback for Kenya's president, William Ruto. Next week is the first anniversary of deadly demonstrations that convulsed the country, when thousands of people took to the streets to protest a deeply unpopular tax bill, only to be met with a brutal police response in which dozens of people were killed. Hundreds more were injured and at least 30 people were abducted or arbitrarily detained. Observers said the protests were largely driven by young adults who used social media to organize and raise their concerns directly to their lawmakers. That airing of grievances posed an enormous threat to President Ruto, who has been trying to revitalize the country's ailing economy but has found himself accused of employing authoritarian tactics in cracking down on the protests. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Turkiye should investigate ‘police violence' against protesters: Amnesty
ISTANBUL: Amnesty International called on Turkish authorities Thursday to launch an investigation into alleged 'police violence' during a wave of protests this year, saying some instances 'could amount to acts of torture.' The arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, the leading opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sparked Türkiye's worst street protests in over a decade. 'Our findings reveal damning evidence of unlawful force frequently used by law enforcement officers,' said Esther Major, a deputy director at the global human rights group. 'The authorities used tear gas, pepper spray, kinetic impact projectiles and water cannons against people who were simply exercising their rights,' she said in a statement. 'The violations documented constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and, in some cases, may amount to torture,' Major said, calling for the launch of an investigation. Imamoglu was widely seen as the biggest political rival to Erdogan and his jailing is likely to prevent him from running in the 2028 presidential election. Authorities said they arrested nearly 1,900 people during the protests, most of whom were accused of participating in illegal gatherings. The vast majority have since been released. Amnesty said it had 'verified dozens of videos documenting how protesters were beaten, kicked and dragged on the ground by law enforcement officials even when they were dispersing, not resisting or were already restrained.' The NGO said some 'protesters were subjected to water cannon, tear gas, kinetic impact projectiles by police, often at very close range directly targeting the head and upper body, in violation of international human rights law.' One of them required retinal surgery and may lose sight in one eye, Amnesty said.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Bloomberg
Whip-Wielding Bikers Attack Kenya Protesters, Dozens Hurt
By Updated on Save Hooded motorcyclists armed with whips and clubs attacked crowds protesting alleged police violence in two of Kenya's biggest cities, leaving at least 23 people injured. Police used teargas to disperse thousands of demonstrators in Nairobi and Mombasa, forcing many businesses to remain shuttered. Nearly two dozen people were reported injured, according to Grace Wangechi, executive director at Independent Medico Legal Unit, a human rights group.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Bloomberg
Bikers With Whips Rout Kenya Anti-Police Protesters; Dozens Hurt
Hooded motorcyclists armed with whips and clubs attacked crowds protesting alleged police violence in two of Kenya's biggest cities, in events that left at least 23 people injured. Police used teargas to disperse thousands of demonstrators in Nairobi and Mombasa, forcing many businesses to remain shuttered. Nearly two dozen people were reported injured, according to Grace Wangechi, executive director at Independent Medico Legal Unit, a human rights group.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
One killed in clashes as Kenyans protest death of blogger in police custody
Hundreds of men on motorbikes, armed with whips and clubs, have attacked protesters in downtown Nairobi while they were demonstrating against alleged extrajudicial killings, following the death of a blogger in police custody. One person was killed on Tuesday as the assailants violently attacked and dispersed the demonstrators. A Reuters journalist saw the man's body on the ground with a bleeding head wound. But it was not clear how he had died or who the man was. The swarm of men on motorbikes could be heard shouting 'No protest' in footage shared by local broadcaster NTV. Amnesty International's Kenya chapter condemned the attack, writing on X that the 'use of militia will escalate confrontation, lawlessness and chaos'. The incident came more than a week after the death of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger. He died just two days after being arrested in the town of Homa Bay in western Kenya for allegedly criticising Eliud Lagat, the country's deputy police chief. A Kenyan police officer has been arrested in connection with Ojwang's death. The protests caused by his death reflect a wider concern about police violence. Rights groups say more than 60 people were killed by security forces last year during demonstrations in June and July against a controversial financial bill that would have increased taxes. Speaking about the clashes on Tuesday, which also saw police fire tear gas at protesters, Ndungi Githuku, of the civil rights group Kongamano La Mapinduzi, said Kenya was turning into 'a lawless country'. 'We see hundreds of paid goons, with whips and weapons, crude weapons, coming to brutalise our people,' he said. One of the demonstrators, Hanifa Adan, who was a leading voice in last year's Gen Z-led protests, told AFP that the men on motorbikes had 'overwhelmed' her and others. 'They cornered us and beat us with whips and the police were just watching them do it,' she said. Demonstrations were also held on Tuesday in Kenya's second-largest city Mombasa, with the crowd holding placards saying 'Stop killing us'. Public anger grew after an autopsy revealed that Ojwang had not fatally injured himself by banging his head against a cell wall, as the Kenyan police had originally claimed. The government's pathologist found that his injuries, which included blunt force trauma, were 'unlikely to be self-inflicted'. Kenyan President William Ruto admitted on Friday that Ojwang had died 'at the hands of the police', calling his death 'heartbreaking and unacceptable'. The country's leader promised to 'protect citizens from rogue police officers'. In the past four months, more than 20 people have died in police custody in Kenya, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). As part of the investigation into Ojwang's death, two senior police officers and a civilian have so far been arrested. Lagat, the deputy police chief, announced on Monday that he was temporarily stepping down from his role.
