Police this morning fired teargas to disperse ‘anti-judiciary’ protesters who gathered in Lilongwe despite a court order stopping their demonstrations.
Leaders of a grouping called Human Rights Ambassadors have since been arrested over the protests.
The grouping organized protests today against what they call selective justice by the Judiciary.
However, High Court in Lilongwe yesterday granted some Malawian businesspersons an injunction against the demonstrations.
This morning as protesters converged at Lilongwe Community Ground, they were told by police that the protests will not go on due to the injunction.
Angered by the announcement, protesters started marching along the M1 Road going towards Bunda turn-off.
Along the road, they burned tyres and some pelted stones at vehicles. Such chaotic scenes happened at Biwi Triangle, at Area 36 as well as at Wakawaka .
At Wakawaka, shop owners mobilized themselves and carried weapons in a bid to protect their shops from the protesters.
Within Lilongwe Town, some shops were closed in the morning and there was reduced activity.
Police in several affected areas fired teargas to disperse the protesters. Officers were also seen conducting patrols and clearing roads which had been closed.
One of the rights activists Kingsley Mpaso said in the morning that Human Rights Ambassadors was working to vacate the injunction which restrained them from going ahead with the demonstrations.
However, reports indicate that Mpaso and five others have since been arrested by Malawi Police.
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