The coastal city of Durban became a flashpoint of civil unrest on Wednesday as South African police deployed rubber bullets and teargas to break up a massive gathering of anti-immigrant protesters.
This latest demonstration highlights a volatile wave of anti-foreigner sentiment that has historically triggered violent attacks against foreign nationals and immigrants across the country.
With local government elections looming in less than a year, the political atmosphere has become increasingly charged, turning the presence of undocumented immigrants into a central campaign issue.
The march was orchestrated by a coalition of groups, most notably the Operation Dudula movement—a Zulu term meaning “push back”—alongside several political figures.
Protesters flooded the streets, carrying placards and chanting demands for the government to implement stricter controls on migration.
While authorities initially blocked the crowd from reaching the Durban beachfront, which demonstrators label a hotspot for criminal activity, the situation spiraled out of control.
A splinter group began looting shops and harassing people nearby, forcing security operatives to intervene.
Many shop owners had already shuttered their doors, fearing the exact xenophobic violence that has plagued the region in the past.
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