Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Ivory Coast Police Disperse Pro-Gbagbo March

Ivory Coast Police Disperse Pro-Gbagbo March

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast police fire tear gas to disperse pro-Gbagbo march ahead of ICC hearing

The Associated Press

Police in Ivory Coast fired tear gas to disperse a march by supporters of the country's former President Laurent Gbagbo.

The secretary-general for the youth wing of Gbagbo's party that organized Saturday's march, Justin Koua, said that 16 protesters were arrested, and six others were wounded. Koua said they thought the gathering was permitted, before being told it was banned.

Hundreds gathered Saturday in the economic capital to call for Gbagbo's liberation days before the International Criminal Court will make a decision as to whether he will go to trial for crimes against humanity.

Months of conflict following Ivory Coast's 2010 presidential elections saw at least 3,000 people killed. The violence erupted after Gbagbo refused to leave office despite losing the November 2010 runoff vote to current President Alassane Ouattara.

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