WATCH: Rubber bullets, burning tyres as protesters block Marlboro drive

Protesters have taken to Marlboro Drive in Sandton, Gauteng, near the Gautrain station.

Burning tyres are reportedly blocking the road in both directions, and motorists are advised to use alternative routes.

The protest has allegedly turned violent, and there have been reports of protesters having been shot with rubber bullets, allegedly by the Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD).

JMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Wayne Minnaar confirmed the protests took place, saying roads were completely blocked at around 6am. He said the road was partially open now and traffic was moving.

Minnaar could not confirm whether or not the reports of rubber bullets having been used are true, but Twitter user Ahmed Ismael (@AGHIES) has posted pictures of protesters with bullet wounds, which he says were incurred after members of the JMPD opened fire.

According to Minnaar, the cause of the protests was what the protesters described as the encroachment of informal settlements onto their land. “They are saying they are unhappy about shacks too close to their homes,” he said. He added that they were from Kelvin.

While the roads are now partially open, motorists have still been advised by Sandton Chronicle, as well as traffic reporters such as talk radio 702’s Aki Anastasiou, to use alternative routes.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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