Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:48:08 -0700 [03/11/2009 09:48:08 AM CDT]
From: Dr Makodingo
Subject: Re: KENYA POLICE

Wait a minute!
How can a bunch of people who lay claim to some kind of intelligence
get into a trap like this?

Do you seriously think that the police and their backers would have
wanted that demonstration to end peacefully?! Really?

What other reason would they have had in the future to outlaw
demonstrations or mass action? If the ‘conventionally’ rowdy students
could stage a peaceful mass action, what reason would they have to
stop the highly organized Civil Society from protesting Government
ills?

How many times have the police denied people permission to stage mass
action on the pretext of insecurity???
How many times have you had them saying thugs would join in and cause
chaos??? Of course thugs could take advantage of the situation and
destroy property because that’s what thugs do! And that is why the law
requires that you notice the police so they can put proper measures
into place to ensure that both the protesters and private property is
protected.

I have on many occasions been involved in mass action. All of those
times, I was in the company of people who WOULD NEVER throw stones at
the police. And ALL those times we were tear gassed!… That is to say,
ALL those times, it is the police that RIOTED!

I am of the qualified opinion that the disruptions were planned by the
police through their moles in the student body! If the police did
their job properly, there would NEVER had been vehicles to push and
neither would the students have gotten near any property to destroy!!!

They did not want that demonstration to take place on the pretext that
Mungiki would join in and cause chaos. Did you see any Mungiki
battling the Police anywhere? So where did that “Intelligence” come
from?

This country must do everything it takes to ensure members of the
public can participate in Non-Violent actions of petitioning the
authorities when they are displeased! The Police MUST do their job –
which is to protect life and property WITHOUT infringing on the rights
of other citizens to PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE!

Whatever we do, we must not fall into the trap laid by the sustained
propaganda war being carried by the Police against the Civil
citizenry!

Dr MAKODINGO