Posted by Amarachi on Wed 26th Jun, 2024 - tori.ng
Lawmakers fled through a tunnel, but protesters reportedly allowed opposition legislators who voted against the bill to walk out of the besieged building.
There was palpable tension on Tuesday, June 25, as aggrieved protesters in Kenya breached parliament barricades and broke into the complex where lawmakers were debating tax hike proposals that have sparked widespread anger in the country.
The protesters had demanded that legislators vote against the controversial bill imposing new taxes on a country where frustrations over the high cost of living have simmered for years.
Hundreds of protesters broke through barriers erected by the police outside parliament in the capital Nairobi, with police firing live rounds and leaving "many wounded", according to Amnesty International Kenya.
The protesters entered parliament shortly after legislators voted to pass the bill. Lawmakers fled through a tunnel, but protesters reportedly allowed opposition legislators who voted against the bill to walk out of the besieged building.
While there, the protesters vandalized several government properties and set fire to a section of the parliament.
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