An altercation stemming from a court ordered eviction to remove a group of refugees involved in a sit in protest at the Waldorf Arcade in Cape Town has resulted in police arresting 100 people.
Police and Refugees clash outside the UNHRC offices in Cape Town @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/LbKz68OQri
— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) 30 October 2019
300 refugees and asylum seekers have been occupying the Waldorf Arcade in St George’s Mall, outside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since October 9 in an effort to be moved to a different country for fear of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Police and Refugees clash outside the UNHRC offices in Cape Town @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/LbKz68OQri
— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) 30 October 2019
Brigadier Novela Potelwa said with a court order in place the police is obligated to support its execution by the sheriff.
The court order was granted at the Cape Town magistrate’s court after the landlord made an application to evict the group.
Potelwa said earlier efforts to engage the refugees, facilitated by role players like the UNHCR , to resolve the impasse in an amicable manner had not yielded any results.
Cape Town law enforcement officials and the public order police were there as well as officials from the departments of social development and home affairs who were offering technical support to the situation.
Witnesses said police used water cannons and fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd which comprised of men women and children from all across Africa.
Roads were closed around the arcade and shops began shutting their doors as the situation escalated.
A police officer was seen arguing with a protester and trying to pull her child off her back in an attempt to prevent the child being struck by water cannons or stun grenades
Patient Kazadi from the DRC, said she had no prior notice of the eviction and accused police of being heavy handed.She said they had come to the UN for assistance and protection from xenophobia.
Police and Refugees clash outside the UNHRC offices in Cape Town @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/LbKz68OQri
— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) 30 October 2019
More: TimesLive