WATCH: BLF members clash with anti-Gupta protesters outside Saxonwold Military Museum
The BLF said it would confront anyone looking to disrupt the Gupta family’s religious event at the museum.
Screen grab: members of the Black First Land First Movement along with the JAI and Save SA outside Saxonwold Military Museum.
Police reportedly had to intervene in a scuffle on Sunday between members of the Black First Land First Movement (BLF) and the Save South Africa campaign outside Saxonwold Military Museum, where the controversial Gupta family is hosting an eight-day long religious event.
EWN reported the clash between the two groups transpired after civil society groups Johannesburg Against Injustice (JAI) and Save SA held a silent protest against the family outside the museum.
The Gupta family has been mired in controversy over the past few years, most recently with their implication in former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report.
The BLF came out in defence of the family’s rights to host the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha religious event, which has been marred by calls from the Gujarati Network and the JAI for their members to boycott the event, saying it’s disingenuous for the family to want to host the event, while they are embroiled in corruption allegations.
The BLF’s Zanele Lwana told EWN the call by the two civic groups was not fair and discriminated against the family’s religious rights.
She said they would confront anyone looking to disrupt the event.
“The Gupta family, like any other member of society, should be allowed to exercise their rights as to when they decide to pray, we can’t be told by white settlers in this country that the Gupta family cannot engage in religious activity,” she said.
@ZaneleLwana, deputy president of #BLF on why they came to stop the silent protest outside the military museum today @News24 pic.twitter.com/KEns2A9JV0
— Nae* (@Naewizzle) April 16, 2017
#Earlier #BLF members confronting #SaveSA and #JAI protestors, accusing them of being sent by Johann Rupert @News24 pic.twitter.com/QKWNtpbbG7
— Nae* (@Naewizzle) April 16, 2017
#GuptaKatha Black First Land First and Save SA almost clash outside the Military Museum where the Gupta family is hosting the Katha. VM pic.twitter.com/8hzacjxiNv
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) April 16, 2017
#GuptaKatha police have responded to protests by Save SA, JAI and Black Land First outside the venue where Guptas have the Katha. VM pic.twitter.com/l6aqdwSC61
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) April 16, 2017
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