Zimbabwe police fire live rounds during general strike protests
Source: The Guardian
Police in Zimbabwe have fired live ammunition and teargas during running battles with groups of young people trying to enforce a nationwide shutdown to protest against the rising cost of living.
The clashes were the worst outbreak of disorder in the southern African country since the aftermath of historic elections last year, when six civilians were shot dead by police.
They came on the first day of a three-day general strike called by unions, amid an intensifying economic crisis.
There were clashes in the capital, Harare, and in Bulawayo, a city in the south, as police attempted to disperse groups of youths who had lit fires in streets, erected barricades and, in some cases, looted shops. Others blocked highways and taxis, or tried to force companies that had remained open to comply with the shutdown.
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Jason Burke and Nyasha Chingono in Harare
Mon 14 Jan 2019 15.07 GMT
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/14/zimbabwe-police-clash-protesters-first-day-general-strike
