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Liberia Police Fire Live Bullets At Protesters

Police in the Liberian capital, Monrovia fired  live rounds and tear gas on Wednesday to disperse a stone-throwing crowd trying to break an Ebola quarantine … Continue reading Liberia Police Fire Live Bullets At Protesters


LIberia_ProtestersPolice in the Liberian capital, Monrovia fired  live rounds and tear gas on Wednesday to disperse a stone-throwing crowd trying to break an Ebola quarantine imposed on their neighbourhood, as the death toll from the epidemic in West Africa hit 1,350.

At least four people were injured in clashes with security forces, witnesses said. It was unclear whether anyone was wounded by the gunfire.

Liberian authorities introduced a nationwide curfew on Tuesday and put the West Point neighbourhood under quarantine to curb the spread of the disease.

“The soldiers are using live rounds,” said army spokesman Dessaline Allison, adding: “The soldiers applied the rules of engagement. They did not fire on peaceful citizens. There will be medical reports if (an injury) was from bullet wounds.”

The World Health Organization said that the countries hit by the worst ever outbreak of the deadly virus were beginning to suffer shortages of fuel, food and basic supplies after shipping companies and airlines suspended services to the region.

The epidemic of the hemorrhagic fever, which can kill up to 90 percent of those it infects, is ravaging the three small West African states of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. It also has a toehold in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country.