past work: ivory coast: women's day violence

on women's day, people took to the streets of abidjan, ivory coast to mourn the deaths of seven women who were killed during a protest in abobo a week earlier in addition to the nearly 400 people reported killed since the disputed elections last year. thousands of people ran throught the streets of abobo, the hard hit, pro-alassane ouattara neighborhood while across the city in the neighborhood of treichville, women quietly marched through the streets holding a sign reading "dont shoot us, we give life", wearing traditional colors of mourning as well as holding branches signifing peace. 

later that afternoon in treichville, during prayers, the marching women encountered the special riot police loyal to Laurent Gbagbo known as the "Compagnies Republicaines de Securite" (CRS). Witnesses reported that the neighborhood youth guard stood in a line between the women and the security forces to protect them when the CRS opened fire. At least four were killed including one woman and unknown number were injured. 

(New York Times)