Planned protest: Counter rallies begin in Lagos, Bayelsa States

Counter-rallies to the planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1 have begun in Lagos and Bayelsa states, with many taking to the streets holding placards that read, “Say No to Protest.”

Advertisement

This comes as numerous Nigerians have taken to social media to call for protests in all 36 states to demand an end to bad governance in the country.

Youths from various locations converged on Lagos Island to express their support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and urged others to “shun violent protests.”

Similarly, in Bayelsa State, women gathered in large numbers with placards stating, “Say no to protest in Bayelsa.”

Reacting to the online posts, human rights lawyer Festus Ogun stated on Facebook, “Hungry and jobless individuals are protesting against protests. This is outrightly ridiculous. Or, how do you see it?”

Another X user, Ifeanyi, commented, “One reason they say Nigerians should not protest is the risk of hoodlums hijacking the protest and causing destruction. So, they say no to protests. But today, there are groups in the street chanting ‘No to protest.’ Are they saying hoodlums can’t hijack such a protest?”

“No Protest In Lagos” demonstrations have already started on Lagos Island, with no security personnel present to prevent potential hijacking, observed X user @ayemojubar.