On July 9, 2013, at least 37 students were seriously injured when police forces opened fire on a peaceful student sit-in on campus.
According to reports, police fired teargas at the crowd, chasing students away from the campus. Several students were reportedly beaten. In addition, police reportedly entered student dormitories, allegedly stealing personal items including several laptops and cell phones, and destroyed dozens of motorcycles parked on campus, a main means of transportation for many students.
The students had been protesting peacefully to prompt negotiations between university authorities and the teacher’s union, the Syndicat national de l’enseignement superieur (SNESUP). The union had announced an indefinite strike, leading to the suspension of classes, after university officials failed to honor an agreement promising increases in teacher salaries
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the apparent interference with students’ right to engage peacefully in expressive activity on campus. State and university authorities have a responsibility to protect students from violence on campus and not to interfere with their right to expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly.
Sources
http://berthoalain.com/2013/07/11/universite-affrontement-a-bamako-10-juillet-2013/ (video)
http://depechesdumali.com/les-depeches-du-mali/4809-universite-le-retour-des-vieux-demons-de-la-violence.html (French)
http://bamada.net/luniversite-de-bamako-porte-contre-la-police-pour-avoir-tabasse-des-etudiants-a-linterieur-des-facultes (French) http://www.maliweb.net/news/police/2013/07/11/article,157945.html (French)
http://www.journaldumali.com/article.php?aid=6662 (French) http://maliactu.info/societe/education/heurts-violents-entre-policiers-et-etudiants-de-la-faculte-de-medecine-et-de-pharmacie (French)
http://www.afribone.com/spip.php?article50353 (French)
http://www.malijet.com/la_societe_malienne_aujourdhui/76374-bilan-des-affrontements-entre-les-%C3%A9l%C3%A9ments-de-la-police-et-les-%C3%A9.html (French)