Tanzania crackdown on planned protest leaves streets deserted

There is a large police presence in major cities and the authorities have encouraged people to stay home.

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By midday local time (09:00 GMT), however, no demonstrations had begun.

Residents in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya, Mwanza and several other urban centres reported an unusually slow start to the day, with many people choosing to remain indoors amid uncertainty over whether protests would happen.

The demonstrations were called to demand political reforms in the wake of October's post-election unrest which left an unknown number of people dead.

The authorities have admitted using force against protesters, claiming that some groups were attempting to overthrow the regime.