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Anti-immigrant protests in South Africa turn violent: 4 dead, thousands of police deployed
Protests against undocumented migrants in South Africa have escalated, leaving at least 4 people dead. Thousands of police officers have been deployed across the country, and the military has been put on alert.
Large-scale protests against undocumented migrants in South Africa have turned into violent clashes. According to the Reuters news agency, at least 4 people have been killed and many injured in the demonstrations.
The protests erupted ahead of the June 30 deadline set by some groups for all undocumented migrants to leave the country. Thousands of police officers have been deployed nationwide, and the military is on standby.
Protesters, mostly poor or unemployed South Africans, claim that foreign migrants are taking jobs for lower wages and increasing crime rates.
Violence and looting
In Johannesburg's Soweto area, protesters looted shacks belonging to migrants. In the Thembisa suburb, demonstrators threw stones at police and people believed to be migrants; witnesses reported hearing sporadic gunfire.
In Benoni, east of Johannesburg, police confronted a group of about 500 people, deploying tactical vehicles and firing warning shots. State broadcaster SABC reported that multiple looters were arrested and that police used rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
In Durban and Johannesburg, some landlords are accused of illegally evicting foreign tenants to avoid trouble, while it was reported that 100 Congolese migrants were sleeping in the open on Durban's streets.
Statement from the 'March and March' group
Jacinta Ngobese, leader of the 'March and March' group which helped organize the demonstrations, said they cannot be held responsible for spontaneous incidents during the protests. Ngobese stated that they are demanding the government take action to deport migrants and will hold weekly marches until their demands are met.
The South African government, however, has rejected the deadline set by civilian groups, stating that only authorized authorities can enforce immigration laws.
Background
Despite high unemployment, South Africa remains Africa's largest economy and continues to attract migrants. According to StatsSA data, the country's migrant population is around 3 million, accounting for about 4% of the total population. Tuesday's clashes have been recorded as the largest protests since the anti-immigrant violence of 2008.
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