The ACTION Coalition has condemned what it termed as disproportionate actions used by the Namibian Police against the #ShutItAllDown protest over the SGBV and femicide crisis in Namibia.
The coalition, in a statement yesterday, said it is clear from the video footage of the protests that the police acted wrongly and committed human rights abuses – ironically mostly against women who were protesting against gender-based violence.
The Police response – particularly the throwing of tear gas canisters and smoke grenades and the use of excessive force, in some instances brutal, against protesters – was unacceptable, the statement said.
The coalition called on Minister of Safety and Security and the Police Inspector-General to jointly institute a public inquiry into the police’s response to the protests. The aim should be to ensure Police respect human rights, improve the Police’s crowd control responses, and develop gender-sensitivity training for all Police officers, the statement noted.
The organisation also called for the charges against the protesters to be dropped immediately, as the cause of those arrested was legitimate and the protest was non-violent.
Coalition condemns ‘police disproportionate actions’
