Angolan authorities are under scrutiny after police were accused of using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators in Luanda on July 12, 2025. Human Rights Watch has reported that during the protest, which was organized as a response to the government's decision to hike fuel prices and cut public transport subsidies, law enforcement officers resorted to firing tear gas and rubber bullets, assaulting participants, and making arbitrary arrests. A total of 17 protesters were detained, some needing legal intervention to secure their release.

The protest, initiated by youth groups and civil society organizations, saw hundreds march from the São Paulo neighborhood to Largo 1º de Maio. Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration and having official authorization for the protest route, participants were met with violent dispersal by security forces as they approached their destination.

Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, emphasized the right of Angolans to protest peacefully. “The government needs to open an impartial investigation into these abuses and hold those responsible accountable,” Budoo-Scholtz stated.

Eyewitness and protest spokesperson, Aidilson Manuel, described the crackdown as abrupt and brutal, reporting serious injuries among the protesters, including one individual who required surgery after being struck in the face by a tear gas canister.

In defense, the Angolan Police General Command argued that the operation was necessary to maintain public order, alleging that protesters veered off the approved route. However, Manuel contested this claim, affirming that all legal procedures and approvals were correctly followed.

This incident adds to a troubling pattern highlighted in a November 2024 Amnesty International report, which criticized Angolan authorities for not holding police accountable for violence against protesters, including fatalities, between November 2020 and June 2023. The report accused the police of using live ammunition, batons, and tear gas against peaceful demonstrators and noted the lack of prosecution against any officers involved.

Amnesty International has urged the attorney general’s office and the ombudsman to investigate these instances of police violence thoroughly. “Angola must uphold its human rights obligations under international conventions like the ICCPR and ACHPR,” the report concluded, pushing for justice and accountability in the face of recurring police brutality.