Protest in Mauritius over dead dolphins
Tens of thousands of protesters take to the streets over government’s slow response to oil spill
Johannesburg, Aug. 29: Honking and drumming, tens of thousands of people protested on Saturday in Mauritius over the government’s slow response to an oil spill from a grounded Japanese ship and the alarming discovery of dozens of dead dolphins in recent days.
Outraged over the Indian Ocean island nation's worst environmental disaster in years, protesters displayed signs such as “You have no shame” and “I’ve seen better Cabinets at IKEA.” “Inaction,” one protester scrawled on an inflatable dolphin held above the crowd.
They marched peacefully through the capital, Port Louis, a month after the ship struck a coral reef a mile offshore. It later cracked under the pounding surf and spilled around 1,000 tons of fuel oil into fragile marine areas.
“It’s clear we are at a turning point in the history of our country,” a commentary in the Le Mauricien newspaper said, as residents said the demonstration could politicize a broader section of the population.
Addressing the crowd in Port Louis, some speakers called for top officials to step down. There was no immediate government comment. Other protests were reported outside the Mauritius High Commission in London and in Paris and Perth, Australia.
“I'd be surprised if it's not close to 1,00,000” people who attended the march, local writer Khalil Cassimally said. Public demonstrations aren't common in Mauritius, but “one of the things that really binds people together is the sea,” he said. “It's one of the jewels of this country, and everyone feels very passionately about this.”
Another protest is planned on Sept. 12 in Mahebourg, one of the most affected coastal villages, Cassimally said.
Mauritius depends heavily on tourism, and the spill has been a severe blow on top of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which has limited international travel. —