More women arrested in Zimbabwe clampdown

More women arrested in Zimbabwe clampdown

WILLIAMS: Among those arrested in Harare

• 48 women held in 450km protest march

• Whistles land WOZA activist in hot water

• Zim cops ban WOZA Valentines demo

• Rape and torture inside militia

By Agencies

THE leader of the human rights group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) Jenni Williams and seven other women activists were arrested in Harare on Wednesday, a day after police held 48 other activists during a 450km protest march from Bulawayo to Harare.

Wednesday's arrests took place as the women marched along Nelson Mandela Avenue after joining with other activists from Harare.

"The eight were thrown into police trucks after some police details who were in plain clothes violently pounced on them and arrested the whole group," witnesses reported.

Our correspondent said he saw three children aged about 5 who were also on the march. Two women had babies on their backs, he said.

The women were taken to Harare Central Police station.

Earlier, police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said the women had misled the police about the purpose of their march and they had initially been allowed to leave Bulawayo until they got to Chegutu, about 110km out of Harare.

Bvudzijena said police started to notice the surfacing of "political material" which led to the arrests. Demonstrations are banned in Zimbabwe without police approval. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says applications for public rallies or protests are 80 percent likely to be rejected.

The party said last night: "The MDC wishes to express its solidarity with the arrested members of WOZA . We know that they are being persecuted by the Mugabe regime for their stand against unjust laws. We salute them for their courage in facing the dictator head-on in defense of their rights and liberties.

"The arrest of the members of WOZA is further demonstration that this regime is not committed to complying with the Mauritius Protocol. The arrest is not just an assault on the members of WOZA, its an attack on all the rights of all the people of Zimbabwe. It is a continued betrayal of all the ideals that the heroes of Zimbabwe fought for."
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