One injured as thousands gather at EFF Youth Day rally at Union Buildings
Emergency services responded to a crowd incident at the Union Buildings on Youth Day as tens of thousands of EFF supporters gathered.
One person was injured during a crowd incident at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon as thousands gathered for the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Youth Day rally.
According to Paul Visser from the Pretoria ICE Community Network, emergency services were dispatched to the scene at approximately 15:38 following reports of a large crowd movement at the national landmark.
The Gauteng Provincial Joint Operations Centre (JOC) said additional emergency resources were sent to the area as a precaution while the situation was assessed.
According to information from emergency responders, multiple EMS providers searched the scene amid concerns that several people may have been injured.
However, by approximately 16:20, crews confirmed that only one patient required medical treatment. The patient was attended to by ER24 paramedics.
“No other patients were found at this stage,” emergency responders reported from the scene.
Crews later withdrew from the initial location and remained on standby nearby after determining that no additional patients required assistance.
The incident occurred during the EFF’s Youth Day commemoration event, which the party claimed drew close to 100 000 supporters to the Union Buildings precinct.
Sharing images from the gathering on social media, the party described the turnout as an “iconic moment”, saying thousands of young people had gathered to honour the youth of 1976.\
“This organisation is too big. It was not made by the media, and it will never be destroyed by the media,” the party stated.
The exact circumstances surrounding the crowd movement remain unclear, and authorities have not yet released details regarding the extent of the injured person’s injuries.
Motorists and members of the public were urged to avoid the area while emergency services managed the incident and traffic congestion around the Union Buildings.
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