Protesters in Madagascar entered Antananarivo’s symbolic May 13 Square on Saturday for the first time since last month’s unrest began, escorted by soldiers who left their barracks to accompany the crowd.
The demonstrations, sparked on Sept. 25 by water and power shortages and inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, have swelled into the biggest challenge to President Andry Rajoelina since his 2023 re-election.
Earlier Saturday, members of CAPSAT—an elite army unit that helped Rajoelina seize power in 2009—appeared in videos urging fellow troops to “support the people” and defy orders, according to local media. Senior military officials, including the chief of staff and a top Defence Ministry official, called for calm and dialogue.
Footage carried by local outlets showed some soldiers leaving their posts to escort demonstrators into May 13 Square, a flashpoint of past uprisings that had been sealed off and heavily guarded during recent protests.
Demonstrators are demanding Rajoelina resign, apologise to the nation, and dissolve the senate and the electoral commission. The president last week dismissed his cabinet and named a new prime minister.
At least 22 people have been killed and 100 injured since the unrest began, the United Nations says. The government disputes the toll; Rajoelina this week put the number of deaths at 12.