WORLD : Zambia Food Rioters Fired On
Police opened fire today on hundreds of stone-throwing university students who were protesting a doubling of the price of cornmeal, Zambia’s staple.
No details were available on injuries. But residents of Lusaka’s suburb of Kalingalinga said they saw at least two people fall when police fired their rifles at demonstrators.
Residents told reporters that police fired tear-gas canisters as well as live ammunition. They said police also charged, beat and seized protesters in the densely populated, low-income suburb.
It was unclear how many protesters were arrested.
Witnesses said several groups of students were beaten with truncheons and rifle butts before being forced onto police trucks at gunpoint.
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