Madagascar protests over outages spark curfew and political upheaval

Hundreds of mostly young protesters took to the streets of Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, last Thursday to demand reliable electricity and clean water, and clashes with security forces prompted authorities to impose a dusktodawn curfew and triggered political upheaval across the island. The United Nations human rights office said on Monday that at least 22 people have died and more than 100 were injured in the unrest, a toll the government has disputed as it seeks to restore order.

Demonstrations, organized in large part through social media, began as protests over chronic power outages and water shortages that residents say frequently leave homes and businesses without electricity for more than 12 hours. Authorities banned public gatherings before Thursday, but hundreds gathered nonetheless. Protesters built barricades with burning tyres and rocks, and by afternoon several commercial premises, appliance stores and banks in Antananarivo were looted. Stations of the capital’s new cable car system and homes of lawmakers seen as close to President Andry Rajoelina were set on fire, local reports said.

Security forces responded with a heavy presence, using tear gas and rubber...