More than 1 000 people marched on Tuesday through Swaziland’s main city Manzini in one of the largest protests yet against Africa’s last absolute monarch, King Mswati III.
Scores of riot police stood by as the protesters marched to the city centre, in the biggest demonstration since April 12, when about 1 000 teachers and students were dispersed with batons, teargas and water canons.
Anti-riot vehicles lined the protest route, and two security checkpoints were set up along the highway between the Manzini and the capital Mbabane, where about 500 people staged a similar protest on Monday.
“Release our political prisoners, democracy now,” read one placard waved by the crowd wearing red, the colour of workers and closely associated with Swaziland’s banned opposition People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo).
Full Article: Swazi protests swell as riot police look on – News – Mail & Guardian Online.