Democracy is under attack in Senegal

“Macky Sall, Dictator!” chanted protesters on February 5th in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, as they dodged police officers firing tear gas and raged at their president. By late that evening it was getting harder to disagree. Riot police in masks and helmets marched into the National Assembly and dragged out about 30 opposition MPs. “It’s a coup d’état against the people,” shouted one MP before he was pulled away. They had been occupying the speaker’s platform in protest against a planned vote, held without any debate, to delay by almost ten months the presidential election scheduled for February 25th. Moments later the vote passed. Mr Sall will now stay in office far beyond his term, which was supposed to end on April 2nd.