Kenya's Crackdown on Economic Protests Sparks Amnesty Warning as 2,300 Arrested in France's Cost-of-Living Unrest
Amnesty International accuses Kenya of authoritarian tactics against protesters demanding economic relief, while France arrests over 2,300 during nationwide demonstrations over rising costs.
Kenyan authorities are using authoritarian tactics to silence protests against economic hardship, Amnesty International said in a new report, documenting arbitrary arrests, abductions, malicious prosecution, surveillance, and media repression [1]. The rights group urged the government to address the economic grievances driving the demonstrations and to end its repressive tactics targeting citizens protesting deepening economic hardship and aggressive fiscal policies [1].
The warning comes as unrest over economic conditions spreads across multiple regions. In France, President Emmanuel Macron said "nothing justifies" the violence seen during nationwide protests that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets over the rising cost of living and poor school conditions [2]. Police arrested more than 2,300 people as violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops [2].
In Mauritius, authorities imposed an overnight curfew after violent protests broke out over water shortages and the rising cost of living, marking the worst unrest the island nation has seen in decades [3].
The economic pressures driving protests extend beyond these countries. A senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official warned that food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa is set to worsen, signaling growing concern among international financial leaders about mounting pressure on food supplies across the region [4].
In India, street protests this year are likely to be higher than at any time in the past decade, according to the independent Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), as dissent mounts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government [5]. Youth protesters scaled barricades and scuffled with police despite tens of thousands of security personnel deployed to stop them [5].
The pattern of economic grievances triggering mass demonstrations—and government responses ranging from curfews to mass arrests—reflects growing public frustration with fiscal policies and cost-of-living pressures across multiple continents.