Senator Crystal Asige shared a moving account of how three young protesters came to the aid of a wheelchair-bound MP stranded inside Parliament, helping him to safety before rejoining the demonstration.
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Asige, who has a visual impairment, recounted her harrowing experience during the chaotic events that unfolded in and around Parliament following the controversial passing of the Finance Bill 2024.
The day began with the much-anticipated vote on the Finance Bill. Asige described the charged atmosphere as members of Parliament awaited the results. “We were watching, then the vote came out, and in the end, the majority said yes to passing the bill. We went outside and joined the National Assembly colleagues. We went to the gate of the National Assembly to join the protestors,” she recounted.
The situation quickly deteriorated as police began dispersing the crowd with tear gas. “That’s when we got separated because police began throwing tear gas even at members of Parliament. They were not distinguishing between who was protesting and who was not. We were just at the gate of Parliament. We were now being dispersed by the police, and other parliamentarians started running. I was separated from my security for some time,” she explained.
Amid the chaos, Asige and her colleagues learned that some protesters had managed to breach the gates and enter the Parliament grounds. “Then we were told some protestors found a way to get inside, so you need to look for cover wherever you can. Some went into Parliament, some into the offices, while others were taken through the tunnel to Bunge Towers,” she added.
Amid the commotion, Asige highlighted a moment of humanity and solidarity. A disabled MP who had voted in favour of the bill was left stranded in his wheelchair without his security detail. “Three young protestors saw him and, instead of confronting him about his vote, they helped him. They assisted him into the tunnel so he could be taken to Bunge Towers for safety. Then they went back and joined their fellow protestors,” Asige recalled.
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Asige emphasised that the young protestors’ primary aim was to have their voices heard, not to incite violence. “What I am trying to say is that these young people just wanted their voices to be heard. They are not evil. They had the opportunity to inflict more violence on us MPs, but they did not,” she stressed.
Asige also expressed her dismay at the military’s response to the protestors. “We were still inside when they came in. Some were face-to-face with these protestors. We went to Bunge Towers and looked for a safe office to wait for things to calm down. Then within 10 minutes, we heard the military had been deployed to Parliament. To do what? With their machine guns and AK-47s to confront children who had bottles of water, stones, and whistles. That was unbelievable,” she lamented.
According to Asige, the protestors were more concerned with finding necessities than causing harm. “They were inside Parliament asking us for water, so we were showing them where the dispensers were. That’s all they wanted. They wanted to be heard!” she said.
