An estimated 1000 students dispersed on the university grounds after the shooting, the ABC reports.
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They made a decision to take their protest to parliament without clearance, and were immediately stopped from leaving campus on buses by police officers who allegedly slashed the bus tires, according to a student leader who spoke with the Loop.
Students have been in a month-long standoff with authorities over Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s refusal to comply with a warrant for his arrest.
Local media PNG Loop says one student was shot in the back. “But the students were adamant in going to the parliament, not to start an uprising or riot, but to peacefully show our grievances to our MPS”.
“I understand that police have not given them the clearance or approval to do [march on Parliament], so when there is defiance of lawful instruction there is bound to be consequences”, he said. Police opened fire on students when they marched on the country’s parliament building.
Images circulating on social media also showed injured students being carried away.
Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported a lawmaker told Parliament that four students had been killed and seven wounded. All reports are unconfirmed at the time of this writing.
“They have now got themselves to a point where both sides have pushed themselves into a corner”.
They are demanding that he stand down over corruption allegations, which he denies.
Police spokesman Domonic Kakas says he can’t comment.
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There are about 70 Australian Federal Police officers in PNG spread throughout the country, and Australia’s high commission will be working with the Australian AFP to monitor the situation and the Australian Government informed, she said.
