He said Mugabe could only ignore people’s anger at his own peril.
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Riot police in Zimbabwe once again fired tear gas, beat up protesters and blocked off the site of an opposition rally in Harare, the latest in a string of demonstrations to hit the country.
“The opposition supporters are saying Friday’s protest is not the end”, said Al Jazeera’s Mutasa.
Zimbabwe’s High Court earlier ruled that police should allow the protest to proceed between 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. (1000-1400 GMT) in what Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called a “victory for democracy”.
But the 92-year-old president warned them that there would be no “Arab Spring”, in reference to the wave of protests, riots and civil wars that toppled leaders in parts of the Arab world.
More than a hundred police officers in riot gear, backed up by water cannon and armoured trucks, occupied the venue that opposition parties planned to use for their march.
He said Nera was not accountable for the chaos that happened as it had occurred outside of their routes after the police indiscriminately started beating up people. “Zimbabweans are beginning to say enough is enough”, said another opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai at a press conference after the demonstration was dispersed.
The NERA coalition claimed that more than 50 people, including children and women, were among the injured as police used brutal force to stop people from going to Freedom Square where the march was supposed to start.
Mr Tsvangirai condemned the repression of the protest and vowed to increase pressure on Mr Mugabe’s regime.
He said: “They are thinking that what happened in the Arab Spring is going to happen in this country but we tell them that it is not going to happen here”.
“The government is nearing a tipping point in its ability to control a population long used to violence and hardship, and who now have little to lose in putting themselves at risk in forcing political concessions”, he told AFP.
Police recovered some property looted during the protests, police spokesman Paul Nyathi said Saturday.
The US embassy expressed “deep concern over reports of violence during some of the protests” and called on government to “exhibit restraint” and respect human rights. “However, I can confirm to you that we have arrested Promise Mkwananzi and Stan Zvorwadza for inciting violence but formal charges are yet to be placed on the two”, added the police spokesperson.
Parties that signed up to Friday’s march were 18.
“They are fighting because of Americans”, said Mugabe.
Zimbabwe has seen a mounting tide of violent protests in recent weeks, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980.
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Under his rule, there has been an economic collapse that has caused food and cash shortages, with the country battling to pay public servants.
