Background: Zimbabwe officially Mugabe’s fiefdom, Opposition to protest Zimbabwe crackdown.

It seems that this country, long tortured by tyranny, is at a crossroads in which there is no turning back. Mugabe is crushing the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people, imposing a forced famine, and preparing to scatter his urban opposition to the country side. On this very day, the new parliament will open for the first time and Mugabe will officially unveil his constitutional changes: a rubberstamp senate, the nationalization of land, and domination of the electoral commission. The dictatorship is real. If the people don’t do something, and do it quickly, Zimbabwe will be a one-man country — perhaps literally. Sadly, nobody else seems willing to help.

It’s going on mid-day in Zimbabwe, where not a person is unaware of the call to stay away from work over the next two days. Just yesterday, the legal opposition MDC party officially backed the strike. Police combed the streets in preparation, deploying hundreds of guards and keeping the army on standby. They have said that anyone who participates will be arrested; this after nearly 23,000 were detained during “Operation: Clean-up.”

Reuters at the moment, however, is reporting that the stay-away is going slowly, with most central businesses opening as usual.

HARARE, June 9 (Reuters) – A two-day strike called to protest a government crackdown on informal traders and shantytowns got off to a slow start on Thursday with most businesses open as usual in the capital Harare.

A coalition of civic groups, backed by the main opposition Movement for Democratic change, urged Zimbabweans to stay away from work on Thursday and Friday to protest the destruction by police of illegal homes around the country.

While the early morning traffic appeared lighter than usual in the capital Harare on Thursday morning, a Reuters survey of the capital’s major industrial sites and the central business districts showed most firms were open and employees at work.

Police have warned they would act to quash any protests against the crackdown and set up roadblocks along most highways leading into town on Thursday, searching cars at random.

There were no early reports of trouble.

According to the multiple reports I’ve read, it does appear that many facilities are open. Most stories seem to be based on a single Reuters article. However, it also appears that there is nobody going to them.

The streets of the Zimbabwe capital, Harare, were quiet early on Thursday after civil rights groups and the opposition called for a two-day strike to protest growing social and economic hardships and a crackdown by police against the urban poor.

Few people could be seen on the normally bustling shopping areas at the start of business. While most banks and shops appeared to be open, customers were scarce and many people appeared to have heeded calls for a stayaway.

Southern industrial areas of the capital were also quiet.

Police and army trucks were spotted in some areas, but there was no sign of a major police clampdown. The police had threatened to come down hard on any street protests by civil and democratic rights activists.

ZWNews.com is reporting that the police were deployed to the suburbs in order to thwart and intimidate people planning to go on strike. They have even sent out fake messages to cellphones saying that the strike has been called off! Trudy Stevenson, an opposition parliamentarian, claims that the police have spent the morning rounding up and shipping people off.

Besides this, there is little original reporting at the moment. What I gather is that the government has Harare pinned down completely with its blockades and police presence. Anyone who does not leave their house and go to work faces arrest and confiscation of what little belongings they have. I guess that leaves little choice. More on this as the situation develops.

UPDATE: The BBC is collecting reader responses to the strike, many of which are from Zimbabwe. They range in opinion, though the vast majority are against Mugabe. There were at least some weird ones that completely deny any strike and characterize this story as a propoganda by the west. Here’s some selections:

The business is so strained by the current economic problems that the employers can no longer afford to miss a day due to the stay away. The employee is caught in a tight spot – whether to take part in the industrial action and risk losing their jobs or go to work and betray the general populace who protest against the repressive regime. It makes more sense to go to work because you never know what may happen to your job if you don’t. I think everyone is waiting for some spontaneous protest and we do hope it will happen some day.
Zobha, Harare, Zimbabwe

We the people of Zimbabwe must stand up for ourselves! With very few options available, a stay-away is the right way to get things started. We cannot blame anyone but ourselves if we don’t make the effort to bring about change. Every single one of us must begin to defy tyranny even if it is in the smallest way. No-one is coming to help us!
James, Ruwa, Zimbabwe

We Zimbabweans deserve what the regime is doing to us. We want change but cannot raise a finger to join the stay-aways or any other form of protest. I am ashamed to be part of this docile lot. Let us keep on toiling and suffering until Robert passes away, because that is what everyone is waiting for. Shame!
Ali Ali, Harare, Zimbabwe

The UK and USA are quiet, don’t they see this tsunami? People are deprived of their rights. Shelters and means of fundraising have been demolished. Zimbabweans need to stand up and speak up, not only anticipating a change from one man Dr Tsvangirai. These strikes bring a change only after a long run.
Cool, Harare, Zimbabwe

The opposition has a pretty disorganized and even pushover leadership, but they all can’t be totally blamed. Mugabe has created conditions where food is a rare commodity, where the survival of one’s family relies on compliance to his command. Nobody can afford to rise up, because if they take that chance and it fails, they will simply die. Zimbabwe is literally past the point of no return. Change cannot be enacted internally, especially with the “reforms” that Mugabe is expected to push through. The international community has an obligation to take this dictator out as quick as possible and set the people of Zimbabwe back onto a path of liberalization.

OVER: Zimpundit has confirmation that the strike has flopped, and people will probably go to work tomorrow as well.