Police restore order after violent Che Guevara Road clash
Police have warned that anyone found to have incited violence during Thursday’s clashes will face the law as investigations continue.
THE air remains tense on Che Guevara Road following violent clashes on Thursday (September 3) between March and March supporters and about 250 refugees seeking shelter outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre in Umbilo.
Several people were injured during the confrontation, including a police officer who was caught in the middle of the clash.
According to KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the officer was allegedly struck with a stone by a foreign national while attempting to separate those involved in the confrontation.
“During the commotion, stones were thrown around, and one which was thrown by a foreign national landed on a police officer,” said Netshiunda.
Also Read: Violence erupts as protesters clash with refugees in Durban
The officer sustained an injury to his hand while trying to separate the crowd. The confrontation reportedly erupted after March and March members picked up the refugees’ essential belongings during a clean-up operation along Che Guevara Road.
One of the refugees questioned the group’s actions. “What were we supposed to do?” asked one of the refugees.
“Our possession were being thrown around and trampled on by March and March. They wanted to provoke us and we reacted in defence, protecting our possessions as well as the women and children.”
For more than three hours, insults were exchanged and objects and punches were thrown before police intervened to restore order.
Also Read: Refugee crisis hits Umbilo businesses hard
Netshiunda said police used “minimum crowd management proportional force to manage the situation and calm has been restored”.
“Police had sufficient deployment and intervened to restore order,” said Netshiunda.
“Police had to use minimum crowd management proportional force to manage the situation and calm has been restored.”
He said investigations into the incident are continuing.
“Should anyone be found to have incited violence they will face the might of the law. The arrested suspect will appear in court after all processes have been completed,” said Netshiunda.
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