Trucks halted by brick factory protesters in Khartoum

In repeated protests against the demolition of brick factories in El Jireif East in Khartoum city, a man was arrested and two demonstrators sustained injuries.

On Thursday morning, residents of the city district gathered in front of the factories to prevent trucks and bulldozers from demolishing the buildings. Badreldin El Haj, one of the notables of El Jereif East, told Radio Dabanga that a joint force of police and the security service was at the scene to disperse the crowd.

“At 9am, 40 trucks and dozens of other vehicles surrounded the district in preparation for demolishing the brick factories. The police used tear gas and beat demonstrators with crutches to disperse them, but they failed in doing so.”

El Haj reported the arrest of a shop owner named Saad, and the wounding of Ezzo Bakri and Huyam Hassan. The police seized a vehicle of one of the residents in El Jereif East.

“Residents then closed the main road linking the district to the bridge after the withdrawal of police,” El Haj said.

The old brick factories, considered to be historical, are planned to be replaced by a residential area. Sudanese authorities have sold the plots to investors, to the discontent of residents.

On 12 October, El Jireif's residents forced police forces to withdraw from the area and prevented the demolition of brick factories that was ordered by the state. A woman died when police used tear gas and others were shot by live ammunition used to disperse similar protests in May last year.