Protesters barricaded roads and burned tires in Zimbabwe鈥檚 capital, Harare, on January 14 after President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a huge fuel price hike in a bid to stem a deepening economic crisis.
Cash shortages have plunged Zimbabwe鈥檚 economy into disarray, threatening widespread social unrest and undermining Mnangagwa鈥檚 efforts to win back foreign investors sidelined under his predecessor Robert Mugabe.
Police fired tear gas to disperse youths protesting outside the high court in Zimbabwe鈥檚 second city of Bulawayo, according to video footage from the Centre for Innovation聽and Technology, a local news service.聽Riot police in trucks patrolled downtown Harare while some shops remained closed.
Mnangagwa鈥檚 announcement of a 150% rise in fuel prices was greeted with shock in Zimbabwe, where unemployment is more than 80%.
The fuel protests came聽just聽after聽聽in the country聽without coming to any terms.
The Zimbabwean government issued a statement in response to the protests, labelling聽them 鈥淲estern-sponsored acts鈥.
[Abridged from .]