Police Fire Rubber Bullets on Xenophobic Riot Crowds in South Africa Amid Continuing Violence

Police opened fire with rubber bullets to disperse crowds in the South African port city of Durban on Thursday, as anti-immigrant demonstrators clashed with a march protesting recent xenophobic riots that have taken place in the city — attacks that have spread throughout the country.

An estimated 5,000 people, including local officials, reportedly participated in the demonstration against the xenophobic riots, with participants yelling, "Down with xenophobia" and "A United Africa," according to the BBC.

The violence has been ongoing for nearly two weeks, as rioters burned immigrant-owned businesses. According to the UNHCR, the UN commission for refugees, three camps outside Durban hold some 2,400 refugees.

Unemployment in the country sits at 24 percent, with five million immigrants living in the country of 50 million people. Immigrants come from all over Africa, including Malawi, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Along with rubber bullets, police also threw stun grenades to disperse the angry mobs on both sides, who were armed with planks of wood, golf clubs, machetes, and clubs. Teams of policemen rushed down the street, crouching on corners, guns poised and pointed at young men waving sticks in the air, or arrested protestors and frogmarched them to one of their vans.

Police battle foreigners and those attacking the foreigners in Durban CBD — Ruth Maclean (@ruthmaclean)April 16, 2015

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Chanting "foreigners get out," small groups of dancing and jeering South Africans grew and grew in number, until police chased them down the street toward a crowd of angry Congolese men.

According to Reuters, the anti-immigrant demonstrators threw rocks at police and cars in the street while saying they wanted immigrants to leave.

Reports from the ground indicated the altercations broke out in Durban's Central Business District near the Curries Fountain Stadium on Thursday. Video from local television station News 24 shows people wandering streets nearly empty of cars. This reportedly took place near a rally held on Thursday speaking out against the recent violence.

In recent days the violence has escalated, with four killed on Monday, including an Ethiopian shop owner. According to police, as of Monday, 28 people had been arrested for looting. Some have accused the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini for inciting the violence with hate speech; speaking to  followers last week, Zwelithini reportedly said foreign nationals living in the country should leave. Zwelithini has denied these claims, but the South African Human Rights Commission has opened an investigation.

The anti-immigrant unrest also surfaced this week in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city. Video posted online on Wednesday showed foreign nationals fighting back in the streets of the city.

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The BBC reported that police used rubber bullets and tear gas at the crowd of protesters in Johannesburg on Thursday after some had targeted stores owned by foreign nationals.

South African President Jacob Zuma condemned the attacks, telling parliament, "No amount of frustration or anger can justify the attacks on foreign nationals and the looting of their shops."

Meanwhile, Malawi announced it would evacuate its citizens, while Mozambique is reportedly readying camps along the border in anticipation that citizens will begin flowing over. Kenya is expected to plan an evacuation of Kenyan nationals from the country as well.

Bus full of Mozambicans leaving for Maputo fleeing South African — Ruth Maclean (@ruthmaclean)April 16, 2015

The BBC reported that some have sought refuge in camps outside of Durban as a result of the attacks. Richard, a national of the Democratic Republic of Congo who fled to South Africa as a refugee in 2006 and asked that his last name not be used for fear of being attacked, told VICE News after being attacked on April 10 he sought shelter in the police station. According to him, around 200 others also hid out in the station, all left to only two bathrooms.

"It's crazy, not even the police can protect you," he said. "It's a really complicated situation, we're asking how it happened so quickly."

Richard said a group approached him waiting for the bus with other immigrants — many from Malawi — on their way to work. The mob told them to go home and accused them of "taking" their jobs. He then spent two days in the police station before it became unbearable, ultimately venturing out during the day to his home, which he said is in an area where many refugees live.

"We left our country because of war, you come here to make a living, but at the end of the day you have no chance, I can't go to work," Richard said.

Richard, who sells camera equipment, said his wife was stuck in a different part of Durban at her sister's home and that it was not possible for her to leave because public transportation was shut down. He said he is scared to take taxis, as others warned him the rioters would attack any foreigners. Richard said he was concerned about whether this will spill over into other countries, as many South Africans live in other parts of Africa, particularly in mining operations.

"Remember South Africa has been struggling since [apartheid], a lot of countries supported them, but today the same thing is happening to us," he explained. "At the end of the day they are slaughtering us like animals, [but there are] many South Africans in Congo, in mining, what is next?"

Richard has not been to work since the attack and said he is not sure what he and his family will do. He said returning to the DRC is not an option, as they have no lives there and would face persecution in the country.

"In Congo it's not safe… for me to go back to Congo I don't know if that's an option," he said. "We're just waiting, we don't know what's next."

A spate of xenophobic attacks consumed South African in 2008 as well, with 62 people killed during the violence in Johannesburg.

Additional reporting by Ruth Maclean

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