2020-10-22 13:59:00

Anti-Police Brutality Protests Grow as Nigerian Forces Kill 12

Mass protests against police brutality continue in Nigeria after security forces shot and killed 12 peaceful protesters in Lagos this week. Video widely shared on social media shows security forces firing directly into a crowd of demonstrators in Lagos singing the country's national anthem. Authorities have imposed a curfew to clamp down on the growing demonstrations, which started as a demand to disband the notorious police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, but which have since grown into a wider movement against police brutality and official impunity. "We are asking for justice. We are asking for our lives to be preserved, not to be killed arbitrarily," says lawyer and human rights activist Aderonke Ige, who has taken part in the protests. DN! also speaks with Omoyele Sowore, who says young people in the streets are also confronting other systemic issues. "They are fighting against police brutality, but they are also fighting against army brutality, they are fighting against unemployment, they are fighting against the incompetence and indifference of the regime that has been in power," he says.

--

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González.

Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues.

On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change.

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.

Democracy Now! Lagos Mass Protests Nigeria Police Brutality

Related

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Voices for Peace: Israelis and Palestinians Unite

Democracy Now! | Voices for Peace: Israelis and Palestinians Unite

Rising Up With Sonali

Rising up With Sonali | Illinois Sheriff Apologizes After Deputy Kills Sonya Massey

Rising up With Sonali | Illinois Sheriff Apologizes After Deputy Kills Sonya Massey

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley on Project 2025

Democracy Now! | U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley on Project 2025

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Counter-Demonstrators Spark Over 100 Arrests Amid Protest

Democracy Now! | Counter-Demonstrators Spark Over 100 Arrests Amid Protest

Proud Partners