Bobi Wine Supporters Arrested Following Government Ban on Red Berets
Wine says the Ugandan government's ban on red berets—a symbol of his People Power movement—is a "sham" intended to quell the opposition and undermine his run for president.
The Ugandan government has arrested six of Bobi Wine's supporters following a ban on the wearing of red berets—a symbol of the opposition leader's People Power Movement, Reuters reports.
Earlier this month, the government claimed the headgear as "property of the state," restricting it to military use, and warning civilians caught wearing them that they could be arrested and prosecuted under military law.
Joel Ssenyonyi, a spokesperson for People Power, told Reuters that the six young supporters were detained during a news conference in the suburb of Kabalagala on Friday after the police stormed the event. They intended to speak out against the ban. "The youths were emphasizing that we commit no offense when we wear these berets," Ssenyonyi told Reuters. "The beret, it's our symbol. When we wear those berets we identify not just with People Power but with the cause for a better Uganda."
