Sudan police fire tear gas as protesters press on

KHARTOUM: Sudanese police fired tear gas Sunday at crowds of anti-government protesters in several cities including Khartoum, as organisers pushed for more nationwide rallies against President Omar al-Bashir this week.

Deadly protests haverockedSudansinceDecember 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread.

The protests have since swiftly escalated into nationwide rallies widely seen as the biggest threat to Bashir’s rule in his three decades in power.

Authorities say the protests have left 24 people dead so far, while Human Rights Watch has put the death toll at 40, including children and medical staff.

On Sunday, protesters took to the streets in the capital’s Bahari district chanting “peace, peace” and “revolution is the people’s choice,” but they were quickly confronted by riot police, witnesses told AFP.

Witnesses said police pursued protesters down Bahari’s streets and alleys as they chanted “peace, justice, freedom”, which has become a key slogan in the rallies.

Women protesters, many wearing masks to protect themselves from tear gas, whistled and clapped as they marched in the streets of Bahari, the hub of Sunday’s demonstration.

Some residents in Bahari took protesters inside their homes and offered them juice as tear gas canisters struck the facades of their buildings, a witness said.

Later on Sunday, the Sudanese Professionals’ Association that is spearheading the rallies said “live ammunition” had been used during the demonstration in Bahari.

It did not say who fired the gunshots. — AFP