Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence and gunshot injuries.
A crowd runs in panic along a dusty street. Shots ring out. A woman wearing a purple jacket carrying a stick falls to the ground.
Another woman can be heard pleading, Mama, mama, stand, as she tries to lift her. Blood is spreading around her stomach as another stain appears on her back.
This verified footage, filmed in Tanzania's city of Arusha, is just one of many graphic scenes to have emerged showing the violent actions of police as they attempted to crush widespread protests last month during the country's presidential and parliamentary elections.
The protests started in the city of Dar es Salaam on 29 October and spread across the country over the following days. Organized by young citizens frustrated with a political system dominated by one party since Tanzania's independence in the 1960s, these demonstrations led to the arrest of several opposition leaders and activists. Incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan claimed victory with 98% of the votes.
Reports from the UN indicate hundreds were killed during the protests, with diplomatic sources claiming at least 500 fatalities. The government initially suppressed footage from the events with an internet blackout, further complicating the flow of information.
Videos validated by BBC Verify depict police using extreme force against demonstrators: officers firing indiscriminately into crowds, bodies lying on the streets, and people visibly injured. Analysis of audio from these recordings suggests police used live ammunition rather than rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.
As calls for accountability grow, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has urged investigations into the killings and the release of those unjustly detained. The Tanzanian government and police have yet to respond to these allegations.
A crowd runs in panic along a dusty street. Shots ring out. A woman wearing a purple jacket carrying a stick falls to the ground.
Another woman can be heard pleading, Mama, mama, stand, as she tries to lift her. Blood is spreading around her stomach as another stain appears on her back.
This verified footage, filmed in Tanzania's city of Arusha, is just one of many graphic scenes to have emerged showing the violent actions of police as they attempted to crush widespread protests last month during the country's presidential and parliamentary elections.
The protests started in the city of Dar es Salaam on 29 October and spread across the country over the following days. Organized by young citizens frustrated with a political system dominated by one party since Tanzania's independence in the 1960s, these demonstrations led to the arrest of several opposition leaders and activists. Incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan claimed victory with 98% of the votes.
Reports from the UN indicate hundreds were killed during the protests, with diplomatic sources claiming at least 500 fatalities. The government initially suppressed footage from the events with an internet blackout, further complicating the flow of information.
Videos validated by BBC Verify depict police using extreme force against demonstrators: officers firing indiscriminately into crowds, bodies lying on the streets, and people visibly injured. Analysis of audio from these recordings suggests police used live ammunition rather than rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.
As calls for accountability grow, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has urged investigations into the killings and the release of those unjustly detained. The Tanzanian government and police have yet to respond to these allegations.
