Ivory Coast Youths Protest Powerful State Media
- 14 years ago
Around 200 Ivory Coast youths protesting outside the offices of state-run television station RTI in Abidjan, responded to police batons and tear gas with stones on Wednesday.
Protesters say 14 people were wounded by the police.
[Bertin Kouadio Konan, Pres., Youth Wing, Ivory Coast Democratic Party]:
"Our TV station has become an instrument of propaganda which benefits only one side, and which broadcasts only Laurent Gbagbo's hate and propaganda on the field. It doesn't let other political parties show their side. It's no longer a national television, we are no longer proud, and we want it to be neutral.”
Konan said the police showed up before they started protesting, and began "beating us and firing tear gas," adding that police had beaten him and torn his shirt.
Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has annulled hundreds of thousands of disputed names on the electoral register, after complaints from President Laurent Gbagbo that some 429 thousand had not been cross-checked by the electoral commission (CEI).
Protesters say 14 people were wounded by the police.
[Bertin Kouadio Konan, Pres., Youth Wing, Ivory Coast Democratic Party]:
"Our TV station has become an instrument of propaganda which benefits only one side, and which broadcasts only Laurent Gbagbo's hate and propaganda on the field. It doesn't let other political parties show their side. It's no longer a national television, we are no longer proud, and we want it to be neutral.”
Konan said the police showed up before they started protesting, and began "beating us and firing tear gas," adding that police had beaten him and torn his shirt.
Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has annulled hundreds of thousands of disputed names on the electoral register, after complaints from President Laurent Gbagbo that some 429 thousand had not been cross-checked by the electoral commission (CEI).