South African Police Arrest 18 as 25,000 Migrants Leave Amid Anti-Migrant Protests
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 2
South African Police Arrest 18 as 25,000 Migrants Leave Amid Anti-Migrant Protests
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 2
Summary
Three people were arrested in Johannesburg's Hillbrow after police said they opened fire on marchers, injuring two people including a 17-year-old; protesters then torched the suspects' vehicle.
Fifteen more arrests followed looting and related unrest — five in Soweto, about 10 in KwaZulu-Natal, plus separate arrests for assaulting a police officer and intimidation after a foreign national was beaten.
Thousands marched in Johannesburg, Durban and other cities after anti-migrant groups set a Tuesday deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, prompting heavy police deployment and army standby in parts of Johannesburg and Durban.
Police said 25,000 migrants have been repatriated so far and about 50,000 arrested since January for being in South Africa illegally, while Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe stepped up evacuations.
The protests reflect long-running xenophobic tensions sharpened by unemployment above 30%; Ramaphosa warned lawful foreign nationals remain protected under the constitution and that protest does not permit violence.