More than 900 arrested during South Africa’s antimigrant protests
Key takeaways
- Wave of arrests made across South Africa as xenophobic tensions erupt into nationwide marches.
- The demonstrations on Tuesday were organised by a coalition of more than 20 civil society groups, including the March and March movement.
- Of 120 marches held across South Africa, 108 were peaceful while 12 saw police intervention, Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Wave of arrests made across South Africa as xenophobic tensions erupt into nationwide marches.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Protesters gather outside a building they believe is occupied by undocumented foreign nationals during a demonstration in Johannesburg, South Africa [File: Emmanuel Croset/AFP]By AFP and Reuters Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026South African police have arrested more than 900 people during nationwide antimigrant protests that were mostly peaceful but at times turned violent with shops looted and one person shot dead.
The demonstrations on Tuesday were organised by a coalition of more than 20 civil society groups, including the March and March movement. They were called to mark an unofficial “deadline” for undocumented migrants to leave the country.