. But on 3 June, armed men in military fatigues launched a bloody crackdown on the encampment, killing more than 100 people according to medics linked to protesters. Official figures stand at 61.
Last week, protest leaders from the Alliance for Freedom and Change started organising daily simultaneous gatherings to revive the protest movement. Demonstrators, meanwhile, started chanting to rhythmical beats their catch cry of “freedom, peace and justice.”Similar rallies, gatherings and marches were regularly announced online, drawing thousands prior to the sweeping internet blackout.
“If all fails, we will press ahead with peaceful forms of escalation including civil disobedience,” Saeed says.