Sudan protests: Largest and most coordinated since beginning

The demonstrations calling for the overthrow of the regime and the immediate step-down of Al Bashir were allegedly the largest coordinated and simultaneous demonstrations since they started on December 19.

Yesterday, Khartoum, Khartoum North, Wad Madani in El Gezira, Nyala in South Darfur, Port Sudan in Red Sea state, Amri in the Northern State, Sennar, El Faw and El Gedaref in eastern Sudan, and Ed Duweim in White Nile state saw demonstrations most of which were disrupted by excessive force and tear gas. In Khartoum North, live fire was used to disperse protestors.

Khartoum

People demonstrated at El Radmiya in Khartoum, demanding the overthrow of Al Bashir and his regime to which the police responded using excessive force.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the demonstration was launched by the Khalid Ibn El Waleed school for girls and was joined by residents of surrounding districts.

They reported that police forces threw bottles of tear gas inside the school, causing some students to almost suffocate and faint.

Port Sudan

Port Sudan witnessed a peaceful march demanding the immediate step-down of Al Bashir and his regime from the rule of the country. Security forces faced the march with violence using sticks and tear gas and arrested dozens of demonstrators.

A man from Port Sudan told Radio Dabanga that the peaceful march started at 11 am inside the Grand Market of Port Sudan, which the security forces combatted with tear gas and batons, chasing demonstrators inside residential districts and arresting dozens.

El Gedaref

El Faw in eastern Sudan’s El Gedaref witnessed demonstrations also demanding the overthrow of the regime. Preceding the demonstration, security forces detained some civil society actors.

The security forces also used excessive force and tear gas, and arrested dozens of demonstrators.

The town witnessed heavy security deployment in following hours and a number of houses were raided.

In El Gedaref town, all shops were closed in anticipation of demonstrations. Residents of El Gedaref told Radio Dabanga that owners were asked to close their cafes.

El Gezira

Wad Madani in El Gezira, south of Khartoum, witnessed peaceful demonstrations demanding the step-down of Al Bashir and his regime from power in three marches that took different paths.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga from Wad Madani that the peaceful march continued for hours in the city, shouting for the overthrow the regime, despite the security services’ use of tear gas, excessive force, and detention of protestors.

Sennar

Yesterday, the residents of El Dibaga district of Sennar in Sennar state took part in a mass demonstration also demanding the regime overthrow, which police suppressed with batons and tear gas. Demonstrators told Radio Dabanga that the demonstration lasted nearly an hour and chanted slogans calling for the fall of the regime.

A demonstrator said that increased deployment of security forces in the districts thwarted the plan of the demonstration.

Northern State

In addition, hundreds of people in Sheri Island in El Manasir in the Northern State took part in a large demonstration demanding the overthrow of the regime. Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that the demonstration started at around 9 am and demonstrators gathered in the streets chanting, "freedom of peace and justice” and “the revolution is option of people".

The demonstrators crossed the bridge linking the island to Amri and gathered in front of security buildings demanding the release of teacher Awad Hamid, who was arrested inside the school of Sheri before the start of the demonstration.