I’ve had a lot of conversations with foreigners in South Africa recently, and all of them say the same thing.

They’re afraid.

In the wake of a series of brutal xenophobic attacks in September, that left at least 10 people dead, a large group of refugees staged a sit-in outside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) offices in Waldorf Arcade, St Georges Mall, on Wednesday.

They want to be repatriated back to their home countries or moved elsewhere because they face the constant threat of violence in South Africa.

Take a minute to think about the fact that people who fled war-torn countries like Somalia and Syria, don’t feel safe in this country.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) were tasked with dispersing the crowd, and did so with their usual methods – water cannon and stun grenades.

Video footage of the protests also captured the disturbing moment SAPS allegedly tried to take a baby away from her mother. DispatchLIVE reports:

In the video, police can be seen violently pulling a girl from a woman on the ground, while she desperately tries to hold on to the baby.

The child clings to the woman, while three police officers force her to let go.

The footage is tough to watch:

Heartbreaking.

The video has gone viral, with people on social media calling for the police officers in the video to be fired or prosecuted.

South Africa, we’re better than this.

[source:dispatchlive]