A UPNG student was allegedly shot in the back at the main Waigani campus by a police officer during this morning’s attempted march to the parliament.
A Uniforce Security guard confirmed the incident, saying they rushed the wounded student to the hospital.
A student leader told Loop PNG that they have been trying to get police clearance for weeks to stage a peaceful march to the parliament.
“Today we tried to peacefully go over (to parliament) on buses but they would not allow the buses to go,” said the student leader, who did not want to be named. “But the students were adamant in going to the parliament, not to start an uprising or riot, but to peacefully show our grievances to our MPS.”
They tried to walk out of the main gate but police would not let them through. That was when the officers started firing tear gas into the crowd.
A final year female student told Loop PNG that an officer hit her on the back with a loud hailer when she was on the ground; she had fallen while trying to escape the tear gas.
A male student was helping her up when right in front of them, an officer shot their colleague. The students are alleging that four of their colleagues were shot by police while others were assaulted. NCD metropolitan superintendent Ben Turi told Loop PNG that they are yet to confirm student fatalities.
