Loadshedding Protest: Heavy Police Presence Deterred Violence Between ANC and DA During #PowerToThePeopleMarch

• The Democratic Alliance's Power to the People march to Luthuli House remained relatively peaceful on Wednesday, January 25
• This can be attributed to the heavy police presence which prevented a clash between the opposition party and the ANC Youth League
• Some ANCYL members tried to stir up trouble and ended up clashing with police

JOHANNESBURG - Thousands of frustrated South Africans and Democratic Alliance (DA) supporters descended on Johannesburg CBD on Wednesday, January 25 for the opposition party's #PowerToThePeopleMarch to Luthuli House.

The one-kilometre route from Mary Fitzgerald Square to Luthuli House turned Blue as protesters peacefully marched to voice their concerns about South Africa's deepening energy crisis.

But it was the heavy presence of the South African Police Services that arguably stopped the streets of Johannesburg from running red.

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Fikile Mbalula says the ANC wants to fix South Africa's energy crisis

Police officers were deployed to keep the peace between the protesters and the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) members who went to the ANC headquarters in their droves to protect Luthuli House.

A wire fence was erected by the police to create a barrier between the ANC and DA to prevent the possibility of violence breaking out between the two groups.

Some of the ANCYL members were armed with sjamboks, sticks and knobkerries and hurled threats at the "racist" DA supporters. According to TimesLIVE, some even lit fireworks to mimic the sound of stun grenades while DA leader John Steenhuisen attempted to address protesters.

While the fence prevented the instigators from confronting the protesters directly, a video shows a brief scuffle between rowdy ANCYL members and the Saps officers.

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DA protestors and sjambok-wielding ANCYL separated with barricade during #PowerToThePeopleMarch

In the background ANCYL leaders can be heard calling for calm, claiming that a show of violence was what the DA was expecting from the ANC.

South Africans react to the police preventing violence during the DA's loadshedding protest

Citizens condemned the ANCYL members who tried to instigate violence. Below are some comments.

@southy_citizen claimed:

"ANC loves violence."

@Mindset011 commented:

"Of cause, it’s ANC supporters trying to turn things violent as always."

@b_courie praised:

"Kudos to the @Our_DA for helping SAns have a voice in this corrupt ran country."

Gert Kotze asked:

"Where have you ever seen a march in SA without paper, rocks and tyres?"

Liz Rudy complained:

"ANCYL showing us all how pathetic and violent they are."

@MogobeMonakedi added:

"Two sections of one society. Citizens vs idiots."

DA marches to Luthuli House over loadshedding, ANC Youth League plans to defend headquarters

In a related story, Briefly News reported that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has rallied its members to march down to the African National Congress headquarters on Wednesday, January 25.

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DA marches to Luthuli House over loadshedding, ANC Youth League plans to defend headquarters

The opposition party has beefed up security out of concerns about a possible clash between ANC and DA members at Luthuli House.

According to EWN, the DA is marching down to the ANC's headquarters to protest against state capture engineered by the ruling party. The DA also believes that state capture is the cause of Eskom's energy crisis and loadshedding.

Source: Briefly News