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Police fired tear gas and warning shots, detaining activists as demonstrations rallied in cities across the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday against President Felix Tshisekedi's plan to change the constitution and remove the two-term presidential limit.
Protesters and pro-government supporters clashed in Kinshasa, while authorities elsewhere dispersed gatherings local officials had prohibited.
Hundreds marched through Kinshasa carrying a sea of flags after the "C64" opposition coalition called for a nationwide day of action.
Riot police were deployed in large numbers, lining the planned march route and staffing key intersections in the capital, where traffic flowed more freely than usual.
Clashes soon erupted after the march set off between pro-government and opposition supporters. Police responded with volleys of tear gas, forcing protesters to retreat in confusion, with at least 2 people hurt, Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported.
Martin Fayulu, an opposition figure present at the demonstration, accused police of "protecting elements of the Force of Progress”, a youth movement linked to the president's party and often accused of violence.
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