PHOTOS: Rally of Mozambique's Main Opposition Party Attacked by Riot Police

The arrival of two cars with officers from the Rapid Intervention Force (FIR) of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) interrupted the final rally of the campaign of opposition party MDM in Beira. Photo @Verdade newspaper (CC BY 2.0)

The arrival of two cars with officers from the Rapid Intervention Force (FIR) of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) interrupted the final rally of the campaign of opposition party MDM in Beira. Photo @Verdade newspaper (CC BY 2.0)

The final mayoral campaign rally of opposition party MDM in Beira ended with three people killed and several injured – the injured included the candidate's own son – following an attack by riot police who used tear gas grenades and shot bullets to the air.

When the tumult began, incumbent mayor Daviz Simango was preparing to take the stage and call on the crowd to vote once again for the main opposition party MDM (Mozambique Democratic Movement), in power in the second largest city of Mozambique, also the capital of the province of Sofala. 

Unrest in Beira set in on November 16, the second to last day of the electoral campaign for Mozambique's municipal elections. The vote will take place on November 20, 2013. @Verdade newspaper is gathering citizen reports in a special website for the elections.

"Unrest set in and citizens tried to flee in disarray while FIR agents kept shooting. "

“Unrest set in and citizens tried to flee in disarray while FIR agents kept shooting. ” Photo shared by @Verdade newspaper on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

After the attack of the riot police, the crowd started to burn tires in the roads that lead to Beira´s neighborhood of Munhava.

After the attack of the riot police, the crowd started to burn tires in the roads that lead to Beira´s neighborhood of Munhava (16/11/2013). Photo by Miguel Mangueze for @Verdade newspaper (CC BY 2.0)

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