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Police fired tear gas and arrested dozens of activists on Tuesday as thousands protested across the Democratic Republic of Congo against President Felix Tshisekedi’s plan to rewrite the constitution.
Demonstrators marched through Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Mbandaka following a national call to action by the “C64” opposition coalition.
Opposition leaders accuse Tshisekedi of modifying the constitution to remove two-term limits and secure a third presidential term.
Riot police disrupted the rallies shortly after they began, using tear gas and warning shots to disperse crowds and clear major intersections.
In Kinshasa, violent clashes broke out between pro-government supporters and opposition marchers before heavily armed security forces intervened, injuring several protesters.
Similar crackdowns occurred in Lubumbashi and Mbandaka, where local authorities had banned public gatherings.
Civil society figures condemned the heavy security deployment and reported arbitrary arrests of key organisers.
“We were taken aback by the large deployment of the army and police to prevent this peaceful demonstration,” said Mohamed Eyenga, provincial coordinator for the Envol opposition party.
Provincial police commanders denied targeting peaceful demonstrators, claiming security forces merely restored order to allow normal commercial activity.
