MDC news release MDC condemns students’ arrest

More than 20 students across the country were arrested in connection with the march which the students held under the banner Igniting Students Voice-, My Vote Spoke on March 29 2008 Elections.

In Harare, 15 students were arrested at Harare gardens before the demonstration began, whilst 13 others including ZINASU President Joshua Chinyere were arrested during the demonstration which was violently clamped down before they handed over the petition to Parliament.

Of the 28 arrested on Monday, 16 have been released and the other 12 who include President Joshua Chinyere are still in police custody and are expected to appear before Harare Magistrates court today.

In Gweru and Bulawayo the students demonstrated peacefully without any attempts from police to stop the demonstrations while in Masvingo the police clearance which had been issued was withdrawn just before the demonstration began, the police citing a directive from police in Harare.

The students refused to disperse and continued with their demonstration, leading to the arrests of the ZINASU Legal Secretary Alec Tabe and the Treasurer General Zivanai Muzorodzi after the demonstration which ended around 4 pm. The arrested students were severely beaten by police at Masvingo Central Police station, with button sticks and clenched fists, before being released.

On Wednesday, 30 students from Great Zimbabwe University were summoned for a disciplinary hearing at the college for participating in the ZINASU demonstration.

The MDC is a party of excellence. We urge the inclusive government to begin to respect peoples basic freedoms of association, movement and assembly. Students are the nations future and they have a right to peaceful protests. The brazen trampling of the rights of innocent citizens is a betrayal of the new era of inclusiveness.