On June 16, 2025, police fired rubber bullets at a peaceful protest near North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus, injuring 67 people. The protest, organized by the Informal Settlements Committee, was aimed at raising concerns about poor living conditions and was directed toward a Youth Day event hosted at the university. According to protest leaders, police intervened while demonstrators were still approximately one 1km from the event venue and threatened to arrest those injured.
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Though not led by students, the suppression of a peaceful civic demonstration near a university threatens the open atmosphere necessary for academic inquiry and engagement. The use of force in proximity to an academic institution undermines the perception of universities as safe spaces for public discourse and can have a chilling effect on student and faculty activism.
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