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National Shutdown Protests Turn Violent: Over 500 Arrested for Public Violence and Intimidation
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS) has announced that as part of the National Shutdown protests, at least 550 protesters have been arrested, as seen on The Citizen.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had organized the protests across the country, calling for an end to load shedding and for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.
Also more: Economic Freedom Fighters’ National Shutdown Draws Criticism
The highest number of arrests were made in Gauteng, with 149 protesters in custody. The NatJOINTS stated that the protests in Pretoria were peaceful, but arrests were made in other parts of the country where protesters were found to be breaking the law.
Despite this, the NatJOINTS reported that businesses and services were able to operate with minimal incidents of criminality reported throughout the country.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) played a secondary support role to law enforcement by safeguarding vital infrastructure, including ports of entry, toll roads, and harbours. This resulted in positive outcomes as there were no reports of disruptions.
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