Peaceful Assembly
Police use force to disperse protesting crowd
The Namibian police service came under criticism for their heavy-handed response to a protest that took place near China Town in Windhoek on Friday 13th May 2022. The police randomly fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas to disperse protesters and journalists, injuring several people including three journalists.
The demonstration was caused by outrage at the burning and destroying of counterfeit goods by the Namibia Revenue Agency and the Namibian Police, which people believed targeted black Namibian businesses, leaving out businesses owned by foreign nationals, including Chinese-owned businesses. The demonstrations were directed at businesses in China Town which protesters said were deliberately omitted from the exercise by the Revenue Agency and police. Eight protesters were arrested.
Expression
Namibia is celebrated as a beacon of Press Freedom
The World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders ranked Namibia 18th (out of 180 countries) in its recent 2022 rankings for its free press, freedom of expression, privacy and journalism. Namibia is the highest-ranked African country on the list.