South African police fired rubber bullets on Tuesday to disperse a protest march organized by a firebrand new political party and arrested four people, highlighting tensions building ahead of general elections next year.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), headed by Julius Malema, the expelled “bad boy” of the ruling African National Congress, said in a statement an unspecified number of its members were injured in the march near the main government buildings in the capital Pretoria.
It also said four of its leaders had been arrested.
Police confirmed the incident, saying the march was illegal because no permission had been granted in advance.
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