WATCH | Huge crowd pelts raiding police with rocks in Joburg CBD

23 November 2018 - 18:05 By Nico Gous
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Public safety MMC Michael Sun said a mob from multi-storey buildings where illicit goods are known to be stored got wind of the impending raid and about 1,000 people attacked the police with stones and bricks.
Public safety MMC Michael Sun said a mob from multi-storey buildings where illicit goods are known to be stored got wind of the impending raid and about 1,000 people attacked the police with stones and bricks.
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

A crowd of about 1,000 people pelted police and other law enforcement authorities with bricks and stones in retaliation to a crackdown on the sale of illegal and counterfeit goods in the Johannesburg city centre.

Police retaliated by shooting rubber bullets, Michael Sun, Johannesburg's public safety MMC, said on Friday.

The police, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Gauteng traffic police, border police and other authorities took part in the operation on Thursday. Items targeted included shoes, jeans, takkies, watches, belts and handbags.

"This was cut short as a group of over 1,000 people gathered in Jeppe Street and attacked law enforcement officers," said Sun.

"As the joint operation was about to begin, a mob from the multi-storey buildings where the illicit and counterfeit goods are known to be stored and sold got wind and began to gather to interfere with the operation. The situation quickly escalated when about 1,000 people gathered to attack the police with stones and bricks."

One Gauteng traffic police officer was injured.

Sun said the authorities were shocked by the "unruly group of traders and occupiers" who think "they can run amok in the city and there will be no consequences for lawlessness".

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