Zimbabwe police quash opposition courthouse protest over prolonged detention of activists

Zimbabwe police have used batons to break up a protest by opposition supporters outside a courthouse in the capital Harare. Dozens of opposition supporters were angered Thursday by a magistrate’s decision to deny bail to 78 activists arrested in mid-June for allegedly meeting without official clearance. The detained activists have been in detention since June 16 when they were arrested while meeting and having a barbecue at a residence. Amnesty International and other global and local human rights groups say the clampdown highlights continued repression of the opposition and other government critics such as university students and labor unionists.