Skip Links
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Public Diplomacy and the War of Ideas  |  Daily Press Briefing | What's NewU.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of State
SEARCHU.S. Department of State
Subject IndexBookmark and Share
U.S. Department of State
HomeHot Topics, press releases, publications, info for journalists, and morepassports, visas, hotline, business support, trade, and morecountry names, regions, embassies, and morestudy abroad, Fulbright, students, teachers, history, and moreforeign service, civil servants, interns, exammission, contact us, the Secretary, org chart, biographies, and more
Video
 You are in: Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs: Press Relations Office > Press Releases (Other) > 2007 > February 
Press Statement
Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
February 21, 2007


Zimbabwe: Police Crackdown on Opposition Rallies

We condemn the actions of the Government of Zimbabwe over this past weekend in suppressing peaceful opposition political activity. In disregard for a court order, riot police in Harare broke up a rally where the leader of one of the factions of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, had planned to announce his candidacy for the country's 2008 presidential election. Scores were injured and arrested for attempting to assemble peacefully and exercise their political rights.

The police also suppressed a rally in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, by the MDC's other faction over the weekend, injuring and arresting many MDC members.

We call on the Government of Zimbabwe to respect the country's judicial decisions and the rule of law and allow the people of Zimbabwe to exercise their political rights. Zimbabwe's political and economic crises can only be resolved through dialogue with the political opposition, with Zimbabwe's civil society and with the people of Zimbabwe, who have made clear their desire for democratic change.

2007/119

Released on February 21, 2007

  Back to top

U.S. Department of State
USA.govU.S. Department of StateUpdates  |  Frequent Questions  |  Contact Us  |  Email this Page  |  Subject Index  |  Search
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.
About state.gov  |  Privacy Notice  |  FOIA  |  Copyright Information  |  Other U.S. Government Information

Published by the U.S. Department of State Website at http://www.state.gov maintained by the Bureau of Public Affairs.