An activist has died while at an anti-government protest in the Zongongian capital of Sneedville. The activist fell in an offshoot of the Bhredstrøm River, which passes through the mountainous capital. The offshoot in question leads to a waterfall sharply after the initial point of entry. The full circumstances around the death are still to be determined, but initial reports suggest that the protester fell into the water during a clash between police with riot shields and a large group of protesters near the banks of the river.
Police had attempted to contain demonstrators to a fixed area within the capital to minimise disruption to members of the public. One group of protesters attempted to break out of this area along the banks of the river, where police attempted to push them back to the designated protest zone. During this altercation, protesters were pushed closer to the river, which did have a wall alongside. However, one section of the wall was damaged and replaced by a temporary plastic barricade, which broke under the pressure.
Videos have circulated online which show what appears to be a young woman wearing a hoodie with the logo of political party Republic Now!, and wearing a face covering, fall backwards through the broken plastic barrier and enter the water. She does not resurface; however the sounds of screaming are heard coming from the bottom of the nearby hill to which the waterfall leads. The authorities have asked social media companies to remove these videos when discovered.
Demonstrators moved to allow emergency services access to the river, however did not fully depart the area. Protesters hovered in the area uncertainly, until one received news of the death, after which demonstrators became angry and appeared to attack police officers in several locations. Prime Minister Kristensen has formed an emergency cabinet session to discuss the ongoing situation, with Sneedville locals being advised to stay indoors until further notified.
