DA to take cops to court over assault
INLSA150213.
Cape Town. DA
supporters holding posters and placards outside the Cape Town Magistrates
Court. DA supporters in full force to support DA National Spokesperson Marius
Redelinghuys ,DA Cape Metro Chair, Shaun August and others outside the Cape
Town Magistrate court. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
Cape Town - Fractured ribs, bruised limbs and hurt necks, this is how
paramedics have described some of the injuries sustained by five DA members
arrested and manhandled by police officers on Thursdayday ahead of the State of
the Nation Address.
And now, they are looking to press assault charges against the officers
who allegedly hurt them.
DA national spokesman Marius Redelinghuys led the members into the dock
of the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning.
He was nursing injured ribs. Staff member Deon Basson wore a neck brace
and seemed to grimace in the dock.
The five had allegedly been pushed to the ground and arrested on
Thursday after they intervened when police turned a water cannon on a group of
DA supporters.
They were released on bail on Thursday night after an hour-long bail
application.
Marius Redelinghuys,
the DAs national spokesman, is apprehended by a policeman after a clash broke
out between police and DA supporters lining Adderley Street before the State of
the Nation Address. Picture: David Ritchie CAPE ARGUS
They are facing charges of public violence and taking part in an illegal
gathering.
The case against them was postponed until March 26 to allow police to
complete their investigation.
However, court proceedings continued as their lawyer revealed that they
were pursuing charges of assault against the arresting police officers.
The opposition party protesters were chased by police and blasted with
water cannon in the precinct surrounding Parliament on Thursday.
The DA members, including Cape Metro regional chairman Shaun August and
national spokesman Redelinghuys, were arrested after a clash broke out between
police and DA supporters lining Adderley Street before the State of the Nation
address.
Social media reports suggested that ANC members were also arrested,
although the Cape Argus was unable to confirm this with their leadership on
night.
Video footage showed August being picked up by his hands and feet and
manhandled by police before being tossed into a van.
Minutes before he was arrested, August said: “We are coming to see how
our president looks because he’s been absent the whole year, we’ve forgotten
what he looks like. We’ve got no placards, we are peaceful. We are here to send
a clear message that Zuma must resign.”
Redelinghuys, who is an MP, was dressed in black when he was blasted
head-on with water cannon. Crouching slumped against a car he was also arrested
and bundled into a police van.
DA spokesman Shaun Moffitt said police told him they had orders to
remove the DA supporters from the street before President Jacob Zuma arrived.
“We had to tell police that we are peaceful spectators at a state
event,” he said. “But they said they had orders from above to remove us before
the president comes up Adderley Street.”
Several hundred DA supporters dressed in blue T-shirts were lining the
side of Adderley Street before the clash with the police escalated.
“They tried moving us back,” Moffitt said. “Then they were charging us
with their shields; they got very aggressive with their shields.”
As the DA crowd ran back towards Greenmarket Square, police blasted them
with water cannons from Nyalas.
When the crowd regrouped, a leader told them the safest option would be
for them to go home, but many refused, chanting that they would not leave.
Retreating to Burg Street, the DA supporters instead protested for their
incarcerated leaders to be released.
Police spokesman Colonel TembinkosiKinana said he would only be able to
comment on the events later, when information had been reported back from the
police teams at the scene.
chelsea.geach@inl.co.za
Cape Argus
