[imagesource: @MKay_One / Twitter]

It was an interesting weekend over in Muizies, with protesters ‘occupying’ the beach in an attempt to push back against the beach ban.

In some cases, protesters attempted to use logic to thwart the efforts of law enforcement to intervene – efforts that were certainly very lax, given how heavy-handed police have been in the past.

Others took to meditation, praying, and just, like, enjoying the vibe, you know?

According to The Citizen, Brigadier Novela Potelwa stated that around 200 people attended on Saturday (others suggest the numbers were slightly higher):

“On arrival, the police observed the situation and issued a warning to the group. Taking into account a number of variables, police monitored the situation for some time from a distance.

“After careful consideration of the situation at hand, the unit members peacefully removed the crowd from the beach with no incidents reported,” Potelwa said.

A TimesLIVE reporter on the scene, Aron Hyman, did tweet that it appeared that one person had been arrested, for allegedly contravening the beach ban.

Let’s get to the videos, starting with one protester who asked police to define ‘beach’:

A public order police commander attempted to disperse a crowd of people at Muizenberg Beach on Saturday morning during a protest against the COVID-19 lock down beach ban. He is confronted by protester Sven Jensen who asks him to define the word “Beach”. @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/bL32f7aaZv

— Aron Hyman (@aron_hyman) January 30, 2021

I won’t go the route of every terrible wedding speech (Webster’s dictionary defines ‘love’ ‘beach’ as…), but there has been a great deal of confusion and back and forth over these legal definitions.

In the water, protesters were feeling united behind a common cause:

#ProtestAction Protesters in Muizenberg, Cape Town deliberately breaking the #Lockdown3 regulations. @News24 @GovernmentZA @SAPoliceService @CityofCT @alanwinde to Show their unhappiness against closure of beaches under current lockdown restrictions pic.twitter.com/6tEAhbYHk4

— BOSBEER.COM (@BOSBEER2006) January 30, 2021

Without a doubt, this woman stole the show. Move over, experts – you’ve been wrong all along:

Hundreds of Protesters occupied Muizenberg beach in Cape Town @TimesLIVE @CapeTown @COVID_19_ZA @HealthZA @MuizenbergProp pic.twitter.com/YshTLts2Ho

— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) January 30, 2021

Fun fact – somebody tracked down this woman’s LinkedIn, and her listed qualifications are interesting.

I won’t link to it, but here are two screenshots, the first of which is under ‘Experience’:

This screenshot comes under the ‘Education’ section:

In case it wasn’t already clear, we should not, under any circumstances, take this woman’s advice.

This chap was full of beans, and looking for trouble, but his bluster dissipated the moment he actually interacted with officers:

This man refused to leave the water until police confiscated his shirt, flip flops, and cell phone. After demanding that it be returned he was handed back his belonging. He stormed off angrily. Warning, this video contains awkward scenes. pic.twitter.com/gdJcL6ThFg

— Aron Hyman (@aron_hyman) January 30, 2021

To state the obvious once more, law enforcement has used extreme violence in the past (Collins Khosa was killed by SANDF members in his own garden), which is why many of these videos from the weekend have been widely derided on social media.

Obviously, both the ANC and the EFF have come out to condemn the “different standards” applied to the beach protesters, with the EFF calling for the suspension of officers who failed to make arrests.

Perhaps the EFF’s leaders should stop stealing from South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens before getting too high and mighty, but if you compare the police reaction to the beach protesters with the water cannons used on those queuing for SASSA grants in Belville last month, it’s easy to see why there are concerns about “different standards”.

People like this, talking about “the masses”, also paint a less than flattering picture of some protesters:

Residents of Muizenburg have descended on the beach in protest of the lockdown restrictions. The group says they have been affected by the lockdown extension. #Newzroom405‘s @Nasiphi_Same speaks to some of the residents.

Watch: https://t.co/f5L8IkGrSg#LockdownSA pic.twitter.com/0CvtYhee7H

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 30, 2021

I’m not too sure what led to this exchange, but it was certainly heated:

Emotions ran high as protesters descended on the Muizenberg demanding that beaches be open @TimesLIVE @CapeTown @HealthZA @COVID_19_ZA #lockdown #COVID19inSA #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/I6C84nlLCI

— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) January 30, 2021

In Blouberg, protesters lined the streets:

It’s said that there were a few protesters on Camps Bay Beach on Saturday, although it might be worth checking if they were actually mannequins masquerading as cop bait.

Come Sunday, and the day of rest, and many Capetonians were back on Muizies beach, as protests continued:

People enjoys Muizenberg beach on Sunday despite the Covid-19 lockdown regulations prohibiting access to beaches @TimesLIVE @CapeTown @HealthZA @COVID_19_ZA #covid19SA #COVIDSecondWave #LockdownSA #level3 #lockdown pic.twitter.com/Y60vt6g0y8

— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) January 31, 2021

You can see more pictures from Sunday’s protest here.

Premier Alan Winde has called for the beach ban to be lifted, saying the “nonsensical” decision costs the Western Cape in excess of R100 million a month.

[source:citizen]