Civic groups report seven deaths during protests against Togo's president Faure Gnassingbé. Dozens more people suffered injuries when police attacked demonstrators. Citizens demand the leader step down and free political prisoners. Gnassingbé has served as president for twenty years. His family has controlled the country for fifty-eight years.
The president recently took a new government position with no time limits. Officials banned public demonstrations two years ago for security reasons. Government leaders threaten to take legal action against protest organizers. They call the demonstrations false information campaigns from other countries. Three days of protests began Thursday in the capital city Lomé.
Violence erupted Friday and Saturday as police fired tear gas at crowds. Protesters threw stones and other objects at security forces. Officers chased demonstrators through opposition neighborhoods. Street battles broke out across several areas of the city. Police hunted protesters who hid from authorities.
Twenty-three civil rights organizations condemned the violent police response. They demanded investigations into what they called excessive force against peaceful citizens. The groups said protest rights are protected under the country's constitution. Most of Lomé returned to normal operations Sunday. Shops reopened and businesses resumed regular activities.
Constitutional changes eliminated presidential elections and created a parliamentary system. Police arrested rapper Narcisse Essowè Tchalla last month and placed him in psychiatric detention. His arrest sparked public anger that led to more than fifty arrests during earlier protests. Most detained people have been released. Three protesters remain locked up.
The president recently took a new government position with no time limits. Officials banned public demonstrations two years ago for security reasons. Government leaders threaten to take legal action against protest organizers. They call the demonstrations false information campaigns from other countries. Three days of protests began Thursday in the capital city Lomé.
Violence erupted Friday and Saturday as police fired tear gas at crowds. Protesters threw stones and other objects at security forces. Officers chased demonstrators through opposition neighborhoods. Street battles broke out across several areas of the city. Police hunted protesters who hid from authorities.
Twenty-three civil rights organizations condemned the violent police response. They demanded investigations into what they called excessive force against peaceful citizens. The groups said protest rights are protected under the country's constitution. Most of Lomé returned to normal operations Sunday. Shops reopened and businesses resumed regular activities.
Constitutional changes eliminated presidential elections and created a parliamentary system. Police arrested rapper Narcisse Essowè Tchalla last month and placed him in psychiatric detention. His arrest sparked public anger that led to more than fifty arrests during earlier protests. Most detained people have been released. Three protesters remain locked up.
