VIDEO’s & PHOTOS: Bronkhorstpruit ‘shut down’ after protest outside court
Several business properties were damaged and the majority of the town is closed for business following a protest outside of court in Bronkhorstspruit where two men appeared for the assault and kidnapping of a 10 year-old girl.
The Middelburg Observer’s sister paper, Streeknuus Bronkhorstpruit, reported on its Facebook page that several businesses suffered damage by protesters. (Photos and videos by Streeknuus, BHS Veiligheid and Golf Echo Response.)
Employees of the paper itself, had to lock the office doors and hide when the protest turned violent.
Several residents from Middelburg, who work in Bronkhorstspruit, said that they closed up shop and returned home for the day.
Police used stun grenades to disperse the crowds.
https://www.facebook.com/www.geresponse.co.za/videos/1666847166713022/
The protest follow the court appearance of two men, Johannes Potgieter en Hendrik Dumas, accused of kidnapping, assaulting and pointing a firearm at a 10 year-old girl.
https://www.facebook.com/www.geresponse.co.za/videos/1666953666702372/
The girl claimed that she, her younger brother and two friends went jogging when their dogs ran off. Whilst searching for their dogs, they heard gunshots.
The girl was captured, tied to a tree and assaulted.
The accused claim that the children were on the farm illegally and trying to hunt springbok without permission.
In a most recent update, Streeknuus posted on Facebook that the crowd has been dispersed and things are expected to calm down. People were advised to avoid the area if possible.
