Amnesty International calls for restraint amid violent Wits student protests
Amnesty International in South Africa calls for
restraint from all involved in a violent clash at Wits University,
including police and private security.
It says says security personnel should be used as a last resort to prevent injuries and loss of life.
The Johannesburg institution has been rocked by protests this past week.
Students are unhappy about financial exclusion, funding and lack of accommodation.
READ: Amnesty International slams govt's failure to eradicate pit toilets
On Saturday they vowed to make the university ungovernable until their grievances are addressed.
Amnesty's Mienke Steytler says the Higher Education Department and university management must act swiftly to avoid the situation getting out of control further.
"The students who are protesting peacefully must be allowed to do so and their right to peaceful assembly must be respected and protected. Amnesty International of South Africa is disturbed by the reports of the media being asked to leave the campus.
“The right to freedom and expression including press freedom is enshrined in the constitution. The media must be allowed on campus as objective observers they are vital in the documentation of events including human rights violations."
