As the sun set on Place du 13 Mai in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, thousands of people danced, waved and cheered to pulsating rap and reggae beats and rousing speeches.
When young people started protesting on 25 September, first against water and power cuts, then demanding a complete overhaul of the political system, military police stopped them from reaching the square. The site has been a symbol of democracy and the focal point of anti-government protests on the Indian Ocean island since 40 student demonstrators were killed there by security forces in May 1972.
