Stone-throwing protesters march against high prices in Mozambique

Angry over prices, protesters march in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique — Protesters angry with rising prices in impoverished Mozambique threw stones, burned tires and ransacked shops in the capital Wednesday, and police responded by firing shots into the air.

Police had declared the marches illegal, saying no group had sought permission despite days of rumors there would be demonstrations.

Thousands of protesters, most of them young men, lined the streets of Bagamoyo, a crowded, impoverished neighborhood just north of downtown Maputo. As they moved into the city center, they looted shops and warehouses. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

People in other areas around Maputo also reported protests. Police appealed for calm on state radio and TV and said they had made an unspecified number of arrests.

Mozambicans have seen the price of a loaf of bread rise by 25 percent, from four to five meticais (from about 11 cents to about 13 U.S. cents) in the past year. Fuel and water prices also have risen.

Protests over high costs erupted into violence in Mozambique in 2008, when global food prices jumped and factors cited included a drop in the U.S. wheat harvest and higher demand for crops to use in biofuels.

Rising food prices are again causing concern around the world, raising fears of a replay of the 2008 crisis.

This time, dry weather’s effect on harvests and the high fuel costs incurred when moving food from producers to consumers have been blamed. Some critics also say bad government decisions are making shortages worse and accuse producers of colluding to push up prices.