Jubilee coalition a replica of Apartheid regime: #Kot
Kenyans on Twitter on Monday drew comparisons between South Africa’s Apartheid regime and the Jubilee government after anti-riot police tear-gassed primary school pupils who were protesting against their grabbed playground.
Civil activists had teamed up with pupils of Lang’ata Road primary school to pull down a wall erected by a private developer on the school’s playground.
At least five pupils were rushed to Lang’ata hospital for treatment after being tear-gassed by the police.
SOWETO RIOTS
Monday’s crackdown on the pupils came 39 years after the June 16 Soweto riots in South Africa, when police descended on students who were protesting the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools.
An estimated 20,000 students took part in the protests. The number of people who died is estimated at 176. June 16 is now a public holiday, Youth Day, in South Africa.
Kenyans on Twitter drew comparisons between the two events.
“@gitweeta: Last time I heard of children being gassed, hospitalised and tethered by dogs was apartheid South Africa http://t.co/YSXK7nHIxK”
“@ngunjiriwambugu: Yaani we are tear-gassing children these days!!! C’mon!!! The last govt that did this was the Apartheid one in SA! http://t.co/MIJisVM6Hc”
“@KiarieJohn: Something about #SowetoUprising 30th April 1976 tells me school kids’ protests are not always just mere child’s play! #OccupyPlayGround
“@KuisanMacharia: Searching for a precedence for teargassing children.. Images of Palestine and apartheid SA showing up.. Kenya in 2015! #OccupyPlayGround