Structures Near Parliament Torched as Anti-Government Protesters March in Honiara

Structures in Honiara near the Solomon Islands’ national parliament were torched on November 24, as protesters calling for the resignation of prime minister Manasseh Sogavare gathered in the capital.

Footage by local journalist Georgina Kekea shows a crowd of people outside parliament. Smoke can be seen wafting above the building. Parliament officials said a leaf hut beside the main parliament building was torched. According to Kekea, this was where MPs and parliament staff would take their breaks.

Officials said the leaf hut was torched by “three youth protesters, not by police tear gas” as claimed by local media.

The Solomon Islands Herald reported local schools in the capital closed early on Wednesday for the “safety of their students.” They said a police station and other buildings had also been torched as protesters moved across the city.

Unrest and protests broke out in Honiara in April 2019 when Sogavare was reelected for his fourth term. Credit: Georgina Kekea via Storyful