Madagascar protests spiral from power and water demands to chaos and looting: Video
What began as peaceful calls for better access to electricity and clean water in Madagascar’s port city of Toamasina erupted into chaos, vandalism, and looting this week, as frustration over basic services boiled over into widespread unrest.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets demanding reliable utilities, accusing the government of failing to meet even the most basic needs. Many said the protests were driven by years of neglect and the hopelessness felt by young people.
“Malagasy people need to unite, that’s what’s causing this movement,” one protester said. “We are tired, fed up and completely lost, so let’s fight for the good of the youth and the next generation,” he added.
But as the demonstrations grew, anger turned destructive, and businesses were vandalised. Offices were damaged, and homes looted as protests spiralled out of control.
“It is sad because the demand for electricity and water has now ended, and ordinary people’s property has been destroyed and badly damaged,” said protester Edhia Cathy.
“The destruction of homes started with the demand for electricity and water and ended with theft and destruction of other people’s property. How can we overcome this situation?” added Kevin Julio, another demonstrator.
Protesters accused police of contributing to the situation when they deployed tear gas to disperse crowds, triggering panic and opening the door to looting.
“What we asked for was a simple and peaceful demand, but the police responded with a repressive force,” said Hasina Ramanantsoa.
“They fired tear gas bombs and there was chaos. Businesses were looted. It should have been a peaceful movement, but now it has become a looting movement, causing chaos among the Malagasy people,” he told Viory.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
