A ‘war zone’: Witnesses describe violence at Myanmar protests

Security forces in Mandalay are using increasingly violent and lethal methods to snuff out anti-coup protests.

Yangon, Myanmar – Saturday was the worst day of bloodshed yet during mass protests in Myanmar against the February 1 military coup, which overthrew the elected government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy.  Police opened fire on peaceful protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-biggest city, killing two – including a 16-year-old who was shot in the head – and injuring more than 20. The country’s biggest city, Yangon, has seen the biggest protests with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets, but so far there has been no violent crackdown on demonstrations there. It has been a different story in Mandalay and other parts of Myanmar, where police and soldiers are using increasingly violent methods to snuff out protests. A doctor who was on the front lines of Saturday’s protests in Mandalay spoke to Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity, describing scenes reminiscent of a “war zone”.