Antananarivo, Madagascar –
Tensions remained high in Madagascar’s capital on Saturday as rival rallies unfolded amid the country’s deadliest wave of youth-led protests in over a decade.
Thousands of pro-government demonstrators, many bused in from nearby districts, filled the city center in a show of support for President Andry Rajoelina, chanting slogans against a coup and calling for jobs—not revolution.
“We have water, we have electricity, it works very well. But let my children go to school,” said one Rajoelina supporter.
Meanwhile, Gen Z-led protestors—largely students and unemployed youth—attempted once again to converge at Democracy Square, a symbolic site of resistance. They were met with armored police vehicles, tear gas, and barricades, as authorities blocked off access for a sixth consecutive day.
“When it’s Rajoelina’s turn to gather people, there is no problem. But when it’s us, we get tear gas, they shoot real bullets,” said Malick Sulleyman, a university student standing near the pro-government rally.
The contrast in treatment between the two camps has fueled growing anger and intensified accusations of authoritarianism. Protesters marched with hands raised in the air, demanding to know why their right to peaceful assembly was being denied.
“We can’t take the dictatorship anymore. The Malagasy people are suffering. The voice of the people must be heard,” said one female protester confronting police.
The United Nations reports at least 22 dead and hundreds wounded since the protests began, although the government disputes those numbers. The unrest was triggered by persistent power and water shortages, but has since evolved into a broader rebellion against inequality, state repression, and youth unemployment.
In response, President Rajoelina sacked his cabinet on Monday and called for “dialogue to restore order,” but rejected calls to resign, describing the uprising as an attempted coup.
