Senegal police clamp down on protesters as opposition rejects election delay
By BABACAR DIONE and CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s police have made arrests and fired tear gas at opposition supporters protesting against the president’s decision to postpone elections scheduled for Feb. 25. The protesters in the capital of Dakar called on citizens Sunday to defend democracy amid a push for dialogue by West Africa’s regional bloc known as ECOWAS. Some protesters have been arrested, including notable politicians. Authorities cut off the signal of a local television station broadcasting the protests live. Several opposition figures reject President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the election. Senegal is seen as a bastion of democracy in West Africa, which has been struggling with a recent surge in coups.