In one of these properties, three women, accompanied by two young girls, were found inside what appeared to be an abandoned factory. The women, including one who was visibly ill and coughing, suddenly found themselves surrounded by the crowd. The crowd escorted them to the police vehicle, hoping they would be arrested.

Police officers intervened, placing two of the women and a toddler in the back seat of a double–cab van for safety. One of the women, however, was left behind with her young daughter.

The woman, who asked not to be identified out of fear of being targeted, said they were scared as she clutched her child tightly. She appeared more concerned with moving as far away from the protesters as possible.

Read more: Police rescue man from violent confrontation during anti-illegal immigration protests in Marlboro

Speaking to Alex News, she said that her three relatives taken into the police van are South Africans. Yet, she said, the protesters assumed they were foreign nationals without asking for identification or documents.

In a separate incident, two suspected foreign national men were forced into the back of the police van by protesters. One of them had a child with him, who cried uncontrollably as he watched the man being forced into a police vehicle. It remains unclear if the police arrested the men.

Also read: Shops looted, shots fired, one life lost following peaceful protest in Alexandra

Another man, who identified himself as Tebogo Muhammad, was caught in a violent confrontation. He said the protesters accused him of theft after initially suspecting he was undocumented. Police officers stepped in to de–escalate the situation, but he was left with a bruised eye.

“They are accusing the wrong person. First they say you are looting, then they fight you,” he said.

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