Protesters defy government lockdown order in Solomon Islands

CANBERRA – Demonstrators successful the Solomon Islands defied authorities lockdown orders to instrumentality to the streets for a 2nd time Thursday successful convulsive protests.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare had declared the lockdown Wednesday aft astir 1,000 radical gathered successful protestation successful the superior Honiara demanding his resignation implicit a big of home issues, according to section media reports.

The protesters breached the National Parliament gathering and burned the thatched extortion of a adjacent building, the authorities said. They besides acceptable occurrence to a constabulary presumption and different buildings.

“They were intent connected destroying our federation and ... the spot that was dilatory gathering among our people,” the authorities said successful a statement.

Sogavare ordered the superior locked down from 7 p.m. Wednesday done 7 p.m. Friday aft saying helium had “witnessed different bittersweet and unfortunate lawsuit aimed astatine bringing a democratically elected authorities down.”

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“I had honestly thought that we had gone past the darkest days successful the past of our country,” helium said. “However, today's events are a achy reminder that we person a agelong mode to go.”

Despite an announcement from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force that they would beryllium conducting accrued patrols done Honiara amid the lockdown, protesters again took to the streets Thursday.

Local writer Gina Kekea posted photos connected Twitter of a bank, shops and a schoolhouse successful flames.

Sogavare angered galore successful 2019, peculiarly leaders of the Solomon Islands’ astir populous state Malaita, erstwhile helium chopped the country's diplomatic ties with Taiwan, switching its diplomatic allegiance to China instead.

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