Army opens fire on opposition protests in Zimbabwe’s capital

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s army opened fire on opposition supporters, killing at least one person and wounding a number of others Wednesday in the heart of the capital, Harare, after protests over delays in reporting election results turned violent.

Thousands of backers of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) chanted anti-government slogans and destroyed benches, signs, stoplights and other targets in central Harare, prompting police to fire warning shots, water cannons and tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

Protesters responded by burning tires, blocking streets and throwing rocks until the army intervened, sending people running for cover. Many protesters were wounded by military gunfire, which left at least one man dead on the street. The running battles between protesters and the army turned the center of the city into a war zone.

In the lengthy run-up to the announcement of Monday’s elections, opposition supporters feared that their candidate, Nelson Chamisa, would have the election stolen from him.

Chamisa declared an early victory Tuesday long before the counting had been completed – including in the rural regions that tend to overwhelmingly support the ruling party.

But his backers have leveled claims of rigging and intimidation by the ruling party that took over after long time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in November.

The election stands as an important test for Zimbabwe as the country tries to rebuild its economy and international standing after nearly four decades of Mugabe rule.

The violence recalled the bloodshed that followed a disputed election in 2008, which the opposition claimed to have won outright. An official election observer walks by voters waiting in line to cast their ballots at a polling station in the Kuwadzana township, in Harare, Zimbabwe, on July 30.