RIOTS IN ANTANANARIVO: TGV sets the city on fire
“This is a disaster!” This is the only statement that a friend of mine said today after seeing the fire which occured to MARGROS (a wholesaling company which belongs to the president Marc RAVALOMANANA) and the AUDITORIUM (a theater) all located in Ankorondrano, Antananarivo.
This is how Monday January 26th, 2008 started:
VIVA Radio
In the morning, we all started to listen to the news (radio and TV) but none of them gave concrete news about what really happens. Everything started with a news which I personally knew, will happen: VIVA Radio (which belongs to the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA) has been shut down. Immediately after that, the TGV (political party of Andry RAJOELINA)opposition decided to use another radio station named Antsiva Radio (radio member of RTA Group – the former employer of Miss Lalatiana RAKOTONDRAZAFY, a journalist who recently became the led animator of all the demonstrations made by Andry RAJOELINA and the opposition).
MBS TV – MBS Radio
Few hours after that (around 10.00am Madagascar time), thousand of young rioters set on fire the MBS TV and MBS Radio, all located in Anosipatrana (South – Antananarivo). 02 guards of MBS died while trying to protect the premises. Their guns have been taken by the rioters. MBS TV and MBS Radio then also ceased to broadcast. All the MBS premises burnt with all the materials, appliances, …
TVM and RNM
At the same time, other thousand of young rioters attacked the premises of RNM (National Radio of Madagascar) and TVM (Television of Madagascar) and set the whole stuff on fire. They both ceased to broadcast as well. There were something like fifty soldiers who kept the premises, who all decided to leave their weapons and run away.
Tribunal of Anosy
Just after the fire of TVM and RNM, some young students from Ankatso University went to the tribunal of Anosy and started to shout “let our friends go!” (they refer to these 03 students who have been convicted of attack through Kocktail Molotov against some ministries).
MAGROS – AUDITORIUM Ankorondrano
At 02.54pm Madagascar time, the rioters who set MBS Group on fire arrived in Ankorondrano.
Most of them were there to steal and to set everything on fire…. and this is exactly what they did.
COURTS – ZOOM – JUMBO SCORE
After looting and devastating the Margros and the Auditorium, the rioters attacked the following commercial centers: Courts, Zoom, and Jumbo Score. What the hell do they have to do with all of that mess?
BLUELINE – NEWPACK
In the area of “Digue”, rioters attacked and set on fire these 02 companies.
What the hell do they have to do with all of that mess?
CITIC Behoririka
The famous CITIC (commercial center specialized in technologies) has been set on fire as well by rioters.
What the hell do they have to do with all of that mess?
Prison of Antanimora
Last news we just get this evening, the prison of Antanimora has been attacked by rioters.
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ICE club is an English club which promotes a comprehensive and intelligent practice of English language in Madagascar. It meets every Saturday from 10 to 12 noon (MDG time) at Carlton Hotel, Anosy, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
i hope you got home safely. news from tamatave are no-news, the foko folks didn’t notice anything. well its soon …
This is very strange… I do not understand most of the people with loot look like they have new clothes and are not the most destitute… Why attack prisons? There must be more to this than what is at the surface, a deeper organized plan possibly.
Remarkable recap Andry. Thank you and be safe
i just posted a link for your blog on my blog, http://www.spotlightmadagascar.org. i hope you don’t mind, i’m trying to cover all of the stories about what’s happening over here in the united states. keep the news coming, we’re not getting much in the american media (as usual).
Thanks for reporting.
http://twitter.com/thierry_ratsiz
It is crazy to do that isn’t it
it’s so sad!!!
misaotra betsaka tamin’ny vaovao sy ny sary…
where are you now? what does it look like out there? izahay izany aty ivandry, miandry fitenin’ny ambassadeur americain fa tsy afaka mihetsika firy…
i work in Mahamasina, so yesterday i saw all of the smoke and crowds over at Anosy, and then from Ankorondrano on the way home (from up in Mausolee)… but didn’t get very close. we might go out soon and see how Analakely looks, once we hear what we’re allowed to do and not to do…
we hear that the negotiations aren’t exactly starting up yet, that Andry isn’t too keen on Ravalo’s propositions…
restez sain et sauf, and thanks again.
Thanks a lot for your comment Christi. Please do me a favor, if you drive a car and go to downtown, you may meet some “hooligans” who may stop you and ask which “side” you belong: “RAVALO sa TGV?”. Please, I beg you for your own safety, respond TGV because they may break your car. This is the sad reality of Antananarivo now, this is the “perfect democracy” that Andry Rajoelina wanted to establish. Anarchy is the attached document for the Email of Andry’s democracy.
This morning, the whole city is in a complete mess. The police force and the militaries are invisible. People are still stealing from the broken shops and villas.
We also heard that since yesterday, the militaries have turned their back to Ravalomanana. He has no more power.
To tell you the truth, my sincere feeling is that there is no “state of law” anymore. Everybody steals everybody now. You look rich, you’ll get assaulted. There is no more security.
I think that since Ravalomanana is betrayed by the army, the police, the gendarmerie, the civil servants, he should step down because he can do nothing (would you be able to clean your house without a broom??).
no, it’s democracy
Thx for the reports Andry.
Take care
I don’t know man, ask these f****** rioters
Please, don’t mention it, I’ve just done what I think is appropriate
Thanks for the cooperation, I do appreciate
Thanks a lot for visiting my blog. Blog this event, blog what’s happening, this is now the only way to be citizen
Keep us informed please! Take care.
andrydago,
“you may meet some “hooligans” who may stop you and ask which “side” you belong: “RAVALO sa TGV?”!
Feno be ny fo aty lavitra aty. Mampitahotra be koa ilay hoe if you look rich you may get assaulted. Class warfare, now ?
Misaotra nitatitra sy nanisy sary fa tena tsy misy loatra ny vaovao azo vakiana e ! And stay safe, man !
Yeah, you’re right, I’ve personally seen people who have good clothes, who are clean and stuff, who took part into the loot of Margros, Courts, Jumbo Score and Zoom. Why attack prisons? Frankly speaking, I don’t know, I don’t see how the fact of freeing prisoners will contribute to democracy.
On the view of what’s happening now, I am sure that the real untold motive is the complete destruction of Antananarivo.
I have just received information that TGV and the opposition are starting to launch their movements in all provinces. Their “mot d’ordre” is: “destroy all the TIKO branches in provinces!”
For all of us bloggers in Antananarivo: Move! The world needs to know what’s happening here!
Thanks a lot! I will do my best
Thank you, pray for our country and report everything
I’m praying for Madagascar and I hope that people come to their senses and stop this violence. It’s so heartbreaking to see the country go from a peaceful election to this kind of behavior. I don’t think Ravalomanana is perfect, but I don’t think fires and riots are any kind of solution.
Andry,
I’m a former peace corps volunteer in Madagascar. I lived there for 3 years until last July. I can’t believe what’s happening there right now. I’m so sorry that it’s gone really badly there. Please keep up the great work. We love your country and wish you fast peace.
We think of you all, not only our friends in Tana.
French TV begins to report and show videos.
I made a link here on our family blog this morning, hoping people will come and know what happens.
Can you tell us how you cope with the situation, do you go to work, do you stay at home, how is the climate now?
You did it !
microblogging sur ce qui se passe à Mada sur http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23madagascar (des news quasiment en temps réél)
If the past 3 days are any indication of the democratic vision that TGV has for Madagascar, then the Malagasy are much better off to stick with the current administration in power…if anybody is shortsigned enough to consider the criminal activities of mobs to be manifestations of “people power,” then they will also no doubt fail to see TGV for the opportunistic charlatan that he is. It is sad to think that some people are seemingly ready to lend support to this youthful version of Ratsiraka who seems destined only to lead Madagascar to a political abyss.
Thanks for your comment,
I do believe that Andry Rajoelina and the opposition are the real danger for this country. Request for more democracy has changed into a take over, a “coup d’état” …
Yes, I still go to work (I work in a law firm). It is a bit difficult to be concentrated on our work when you hear explosions, screams and gunshots. For example, last Tuesday, we all panicked when we knew that rioters wanted to attack the main fuel depot of the city. It is located just near our offices. Fortunately, nothing happened
Thanks a lot Stephen,
Your support is very important for us
Fires and riots are the results of a will to take over the power.
who is responsible the rioters or ravalomanana who told that he ordered the military not to do anything?
is that man a leader?
keep on disinforming the world andrydago, you are past master at it!!!
when you are at it, why don’t tell the world that Rajoelina killed Michael Jackson?
You better serve your country if you use your knowledge to defend the right person not the criminal?
for the record, the term “brouillage” doesn’t exist in the malagasy broadcasting landscape till Ravalomanana came in power!!!! hat down to ya, mister president.
and andrydago is still claiming there was democracy during ravalomanan’s reign, shame on you andrydago!!!!shame on you!
ramandriaka@yahoo.fr