Hospital tear gassed at yesterday’s Marches of the Millions

A large number of demonstrators came out yesterday in response to the resistance committees’ callout for the May 26 Marches of Millions in Khartoum to demand full civilian rule. Protesters again faced violence from security forces and tear gas was fired in front of a hospital, bringing its patients in danger.

The authorities closed the El Mak Nimr Bridge between central Khartoum and Khartoum North (Bahri). South of the city centre, the police fired tear gas at demonstrators at the Bashdar gathering point in El Deyoum El Shargiya, and opposite the Sharwani bus station near the Palace (El Gasr) street, close to the Republican Palace.

Protests at the Sharwani station turned into a hit-and-run between the demonstrators and the police, in which security forces heavily fired tear gas and used violence.

Hospital tear gassed

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) reported that the forces fired tear gas directly in front of El Jawda Hospital in El Deyoum El Shargiya, caused patients to suffocate, including patients in critical conditions or with chronic diseases such as heart and respiratory diseases. Medical staff and support staff also suffered from the suffocating tear gas.

The committee condemned the fact that the forces did not respect the sanctity of hospitals.

In the states, processions went out in Wad Madani in El Gezira, El Gedaref in eastern Sudan, Nyala in South Darfur, and other state capitals to demand the overthrow of the October 25 military coup regime.

Injuries

The CCSD reported an increase in the number of injuries during the authorities' suppression of demonstrations in the densely populated neighbourhood of Burri in Khartoum on Tuesday.

In a field report published on Wednesday, the committee said that it had counted 14 cases of injury in the marches in Burri, including three cases of eye injury from tear gas canisters, five cases of head injury from tear gas canisters, and one case of a person being run over with a vehicle from the regular armed forces.

The Emergency Lawyers reported that lawyer Adam Hussein was hit with a tear gas canister in the eye during demonstrations in Khartoum on Monday and had to undergo surgery.

At least 48 protesters were injured in Monday’s Marches of the Millions.