Some of the residents were seen picking the teargas canisters and throwing them back at the police while others used stones to attack the heavily armed police officers.
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LOP Aol in Blue Gomesi and Amuriat (barefoot) marches through the streets of Gulu City. Photo by Emmy Daniel Ojara
Business came to a halt for several hours in Gulu City as
police engaged supporters of the Forum for
Democratic (FDC) party in running battles this afternoon.
The Field Force Unit police officers fired teargas and live bullets to disperse the supporters who turned rowdy.
The FDC supporters were following their presidential candidate Patrick Oboi
Amuriat and other dignitaries as they held a procession along Gulu
Main Street through other major streets.
Some of the residents were seen picking the teargas
canisters and throwing them back at the police, while others used
stones to attack the heavily armed police officers.
The police later fired teargas and battled the FDC supporters as shops, restaurants,
banking institutions and mobile money outlets all closed. The streets that were
completely closed off include; Olal, Awere, Lagara, Oliya and Acholi Road.
Amuriat was walking without shoes through the Ring Road to Awere Open
Grounds in Layibi-Bardege Division where he was scheduled to address voters. They moved while flashing the FDC sign and shouting their
slogan ‘’One People One Uganda’’ and calling upon onlookers to join them for
change.
Amuriat was later intercepted by heavily armed police from
the Awere Open Grounds from where he was arrested. Some of the business people told Uganda Radio Network - URN that they could not
continue with business for fear of losing their valuables to the rowdy
crowds.
Richard Okello, a hawker told URN that the majority of the
youth who participate in such environments are thieves and robbers who take advantage of the situation to steal from unsuspecting people.
Emmy Daniel Ojara is a young journalist and has been practicing since 2013, during which he covered land rights violation in the contested Apaa and Lakang in Amuru as his first take ups while at Gulu Fm, Favor Fm and later Paidha Fm and Speak Fm where he is still attached.
Human rights abuses and denied access to land by security and government agencies has been the major aftermath of the contest over the lands. The underprivileged such as women, children and the elderly faced challenges in accessing soc
