Photo by Armand Hough.
2 June 2014
Calm has returned at Ocean View following violent protests, which erupted on Thursday over the Mountain View Housing Project.
Beneficiaries of the project are furious because, they claim, the houses are too small and are leaking.
Protesters clashed with police the cops attempted to disperse the angry crowd. The protestors had barricaded roads surrounding the construction site and Slangkop Road with burning tyres, rubble and other objects. Construction workers were trapped inside the construction site and barricaded themselves in fearing for their safety.
The protests continued through the night on Thursday. SAPS and Metro Police responded with non-lethal force.
Photo by Armand Hough.
According to eyewitnesses, some of the people that joined the protests were not interested in engaging authorities to find solutions. An eyewitness said, “Gangsters and drug addicts hijacked the protest. … In most service delivery and political protests, there are serious issues that need to be addressed from authorities and members of the community and each situation has two sides that needs to be acknowledged. Unfortunately here too much time is wasted by hard-liners that think they can resolve issues with violence and disturbing public order.”