Paris was the scene of a demonstration by the Mozambican diaspora in front of Place de la Bastille yesterday, Thursday (07). As in Maputo and other parts of the world, the demonstrators came together to contest the results of the general elections on October 9 and to denounce police repression of demonstrations in Mozambique.

According to an RFI report, chants of "people in power" were heard on the streets of Paris. The message of the protesting Mozambicans reached the French capital, near the symbolic Place de la Bastille. A group of more than 20 people held up placards with slogans and Mozambican flags, but also sang the Mozambican anthem "Beloved Homeland".

Laura Chirrime belongs to the group Indignados - Civil Society of Mozambicans in the Diaspora, a movement that organized demonstrations in Paris and several other cities this Thursday to demand electoral justice and to denounce police violence in the protests in Mozambique.

"We want to show the world what is happening in Mozambique. The world doesn't know what's going on. We know that many organizations are here in Paris, many people are going to see us. We're shouting to the world 'Help, please help us, Mozambique is not doing well'," said Laura Chirrime.

The protesters' placards read, in Portuguese and French, "Povo no poder" (People in power), "Liberdade para o povo" (Freedom for the people), "Moçambique igual para todos" (Equal Mozambique for all) and "Voto não é atestado de óbito" (Voting is not a death certificate), but they also criticized Frelimo, the party in power since 1975.

Among the demonstrators, singer Assa Matusse stressed that artists also have a duty to mobilize.

"It's the first time, really, that I've been involved in this way, I've always told myself that I would never take a political stance because my mission on this earth is to make music, but there come situations where you go beyond art, you go beyond all limits," she said.

Another artist present was the musician Samito Tembe, who held up a poster with the phrase popularized by the rapper Azagaia, "People in power".

"I'm not afraid. People in power. People in power. People in power every day. I don't understand how you vote, the leaders live off our taxes and we can't complain if something is wrong. I don't understand. I don't see why they're throwing tear gas at us in Mozambique, they're killing people, I don't understand...", said Tembe.

"Hello world, hello Paris, hello France!" shouted researcher Anésio Manhiça, passing through Paris, who also grabbed his megaphone to remind everyone that Mozambicans had gathered for this demonstration "for human rights and justice in Mozambique".

"We can speak out and demonstrate in Paris. We are not in any danger here, unlike our brothers and sisters in Mozambique. We are here to speak out against the social injustice in Mozambique, the electoral injustice, the human rights that are being violated in Mozambique, including the right to digital freedom. We are here to raise this voice, to see if we are heard and to be able to see some political and social change in Mozambique," emphasized Anésio Manhiça.

There were also Angolans among the demonstrators, such as Lucas dos Santos, who was moved by solidarity with the Mozambican people and the fight for justice.

"We are all Africans. We have many ties that unite us, starting with the Portuguese language because we were a Portuguese colony. We are in favor of freedom. What is happening in Mozambique at a time like this is unfair. Power belongs to the people and the people should choose the people who govern. We are here to say "Down with the murders, down with the dictatorship". As Angolans we have to stand in solidarity, as we always have, with the Mozambican people," said the Angolan.

In addition to Paris, calls for electoral justice and respect for human rights in Mozambique were repeated in several other cities where there is a Mozambican diaspora and in Maputo, the epicenter of the demonstrations.

Mozambique has been under tension since the general elections of October 9.

The demonstrations and subsequent clashes between police and demonstrators escalated after the National Electoral Commission announced the results on October 24, which gave victory to the candidate of the ruling Frelimo party, with 70% of the votes, followed by the candidate supported by the PODEMOS party, Venâncio Mondlane. Mondlane, who disputes the results, has been calling for demonstrations and general stoppages ever since.

(Photo DR)