Durban - Two University of KwaZulu-Natal lecturers who were arrested at the Pietermaritzburg campus and then released on warning, are not taking their experience at the hands of the police lightly.
They on Monday, confirmed they had opened wrongful arrest cases against the police.
Dr Clint Le Bruyns, Doctor of Theology, and Jane Quin, an Education lecturer at the local campus, were arrested by riot police in full view of students, community members and other independent observers at a gathering held to engage in dialogue on the current situation on the lawns of the main campus on Monday.
“As we were talking, out of the corners of our eyes we saw police putting on their riot gear and walking towards us in full force. They surrounded specific people, so clearly they were targeting members. The police quietly informed me and Professor Quin that we were participating in an illegal gathering and we were being arrested,” Le Bruyns said.
They spent around 10 minutes in a police van before being released with the warning that they “not engage with students”.
Five students and an independent observer were arrested and taken to the Alexandra police station, where the observer was later released.
The five students remain in custody and have been charged with contravening a high court order prohibiting them from participating in any protest or illegal gathering on campus.
However, Le Bruyns said that the arrested students were not even part of the gathering, but were simply walking to their lectures, or standing in the vicinity.
“They were sitting in the police van with their textbooks, wondering what on earth was happening. It is surreal, alarming and disturbing what is going on at our universities. Our campuses have become militarised. Even when we tried to explain ourselves to the police who arrested us, their response was that they were just the footsoldiers following orders. This is completely unacceptable!” Le Bruyns said.
He confirmed on Monday he and Quin had opened cases of wrongful arrest against the officers who detained them. “We cannot let this slide. They need to know that what they are doing is wrong,” he said.
Daily News