Mahamasina: the militants for the implementation of the Maputo agreements violently dispersed

 On Saturday morning of September 26th, the appointment has well taken place in Mahamasina. The legalistic camp did not buy the “plot “, rather quite legitimate TGV speaking, organized by Antananarivo’s town hall officials who wanted to isolate them in Antsonjombe. A crowd has gathered in Mahamasina at around 10 am. Repression was immediate; gun shots in the air, tear gazes. 

It is quite the same script as that at the time of the February-March 2009 riots, except that, this time around, the anti-Rajoelina are those being repressed. To tear gazes thrown by police forces, demonstrators responded with provocations. They attempted to erect makeshift road blocks in the districts of Anosy and Ampefiloha. Soldiers but in no way anti riot forces, ran deterring patrols, heavily armed on board of the now gone down in history 4WD pickups. 

Political leaders as Albert Zafy and Fetison Andrianirina have been expected by demonstrators in Mahamasina, during this morning. Serge Radert and Lalatiana Ravololomanana from the Zafy mobility appeared to parley with the police forces and to speak with journalists. The legalistic camp had already shared on the day before, namely Friday, that the event has long been dimmed to take place in Mahamasina and that a last minute change, namely on the eve, was unacceptable. 

Fetison Andrianirina, from the Ravalomanana mobility, had already let it be known that he would not come without legal authorization from the different authorities for the holding of the demonstration. Authorized by Police’s prefecture, the demonstration of the Movement for the implementation of the Maputo agreements has been made illegal by the CUA’s refusal to open the Mahamasina stadium. In such a case, police forces were entitled to do whatever necessary to put an end to the demonstration.