Chaos at EFF's Brackenfell protest as white man in lycra intervenes

20 November 2020 - 15:47

By Aron Hyman and Anthony Molyneaux

A white man was assaulted by dozens of EFF members on Friday after he moved forward through a crowd to address the party's secretary-general, Marshall Dlamini.

An EFF protester aims a kick at the Lycra-clad mad who tried to interrupt party secretary-general Marshall Dlamini outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town on November 20 2020.

Image: Anthony Molyneaux An EFF protester aims a kick at the Lycra-clad mad who tried to interrupt party secretary-general Marshall Dlamini outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town on November 20 2020.

The man, dressed in cycling gear, appeared to address Dlamini at the climax of a rousing speech outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town's northern suburbs.

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Public order police rescued the man who was set on by EFF protesters after he tried to interrupt party secretary-general Marshall Dlamini outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town on November 20 2020.

Image: Anthony Molyneaux Public order police rescued the man who was set on by EFF protesters after he tried to interrupt party secretary-general Marshall Dlamini outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town on November 20 2020.

His intervention came as Dlamini said he was giving the police one hour to return an EFF beret he claimed was stolen when demonstrators were attacked by counter-protesters.

Police rescued the man — wearing cycling pants and a shirt which read “create not hate” — by using stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

This is what it is like being tear-gassed at the Brackenfell EFF protest. #EFFInBrackenfell #EFFInBrackenfell #EFFRedFriday pic.twitter.com/NeTsPWbveR
— 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖞 𝕸𝖔𝖑𝖞𝖓𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖝 (@AJGMolyneaux) November 20, 2020

Chaos then ensued for a third time on Friday as protesters responded to stun grenades, water cannon and teargas with a volley of rocks.

EFF leaders were forced to hide behind speakers as they ducked for cover.

The man was escorted into a police van and appeared to have been taken into safe custody.

EFF have arrived in numbers. After a run in with police (there's water canons here) they assemble in the road. Police are trying to maintain order here in Brackenfell. About 500 EFF supporters here. @TimesLIVE @SundayTimesZA pic.twitter.com/UBBYG5Udy8
— 𝕬𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖓𝖞 𝕸𝖔𝖑𝖞𝖓𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖝 (@AJGMolyneaux) November 20, 2020

Before stone-throwing forced media to retreat, the man told TimesLIVE he wanted to address EFF leader Julius Malema and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Dlamini was speaking about the evils of white racism after a two-week row over a matric function attended only by white pupils at Brackenfell High.

Image: Esa Alexander Some of the estimated 1,000 EFF supporters who joined a protest at Brackenfell High School, Cape Town, on November 20 2020.

An earlier protest at the school by the EFF ended in running battles after residents of the suburb and parents at the school started beating up the demonstrators.

TimesLIVE