Kenyan police fired teargas canisters to disperse a peaceful protest Thursday that was held in solidarity with Palestinians in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The demonstration, organized by Kenyans4Palestine, reportedly had a permit issued by authorities for a peaceful gathering but was confronted by security officers when protesters camped outside the German Embassy in Nairobi.
Police deployed tear gas against dozens of protesters and three activists were arrested.
Lali Yusuf, a prominent participant, expressed frustration with the police intervention.
“We gathered peacefully to show our support for the people of Palestine, and it is disheartening to witness such a heavy-handed response from the authorities. We intended to raise awareness and stand in solidarity with Palestinians,” he said.
The arrests and police disruption drew immediate condemnation from human rights groups, with Amnesty International stating deep concern about the repeated use of armed police officers and tear gas to disrupt legitimate picketing by citizens.
“The National Police Service were duly notified as per the law. The demonstrators lawfully assembled and peaceful. Our laws require citizens’ views to deserve the same level of respect as officers of the state. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested,” said Amnesty.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The Israeli response has killed nearly 26,000 Palestinians and injured 63,740 others. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli war has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while more than half of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.