Angolan police open fire at veterans’ rally

LISBON – Angolan police on Wednesday fired gunshots in the air and used teargas to disperse hundreds of civil war veterans who staged a second protest rally in under two weeks to demand payment of overdue subsidies, Portuguese state news agency Lusa reported.

The veterans gathered at Maianga Square in the centre of Luanda, but were dispersed by police as they tried to march towards the ‘Cidade Alta,’ a heavily policed area where the presidency and the Defence Ministry are based, Lusa said.The agency cited an unnamed former soldier as saying there had been no reports of injuries. It added that a second attempt by the protesters to reach the Defence Ministry was also blocked.The United States embassy in Luanda said in an email to US citizens obtained by Reuters that there had been reports of demonstrations in other areas of the city, including Miramar, where the embassy is located.It urged US citizens to avoid the areas affected and maintain ‘a high level of vigilance as even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can become violent and unpredictable.’A first protest staged on June 8 had also been blocked by riot and military police, but that time without any reports of firearms or teargas being used. The rally had led the Ministry of Defence to promise it would pay the overdue subsidies as swiftly as possible and urge the veterans to remain calm as the payments are processed.The veterans, who took part in Angola’s civil war that ended a decade ago, had previously sent delegations to parliament to present their claims to lawmakers. Many have never received military pensions or disability subsidies, while others have complained about frequent delays in receiving the funds. – Nampa- Reuters