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Nigeria: Goodluck Jonathan sparks change, but not the kind he hoped
Troops occupied the main protest ground in Lagos and set up checkpoints at key spots. Soldiers shot into the air and chased protesters away with armored vehicles, while police fired tear gas in at least one location.
The deployment sparked anger, including from Nobel literature prize winner Wole Soyinka. Unions announced in the afternoon of January 16 that they were calling off the strike.
Civil society groups however vowed to press on with protests. One including about 200 people on Thursday in Lagos prompted police to fire tear gas.
“I think, for all the Nigerian people, the victory is in knowing that they can organize, that they can protest,” Nwankwo said.
“They can bring about changes through people power, and I think that the government had better listen to these issues.”
Copyright 2012 AFP
