This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 16, 2019, Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was forced to call off mass protests against the country's deepening economic problems after a court upheld an 11th hour ban imposed by the police.
The protests, which were set to take place on Friday, were aimed at drawing attention to the worsening economy, which has led to shortages of basic goods and skyrocketing prices.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), around five million people in Zimbabwe are in need of aid, with at least half of them on the cusp of 'starvation'.
Despite government threats to stop the protests, the MDC had vowed to go ahead with the marches, but the police intervened at the last minute, imposing a ban on the demonstrations.
"The court has said the demonstration should be off," MDC spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda told AFP.
Armed police formed barricades around the city, turning back cars on streets leading to the MDC's party headquarters, and setting up road blocks elsewhere in the capital.
Long queues of traffic formed as the police searched cars and commuter buses for weapons, while teams of riot police carried out patrols and randomly stopped and searched pedestrians.
