KENYAN communists have demanded the release of activists who were arrested during anti-imperialist protests in the capital Nairobi on May 12.

In a statement released today the central organising committee of the Communist Party Marxist Kenya (CPMK) said it “strongly condemns the arrests, intimidation and harassment carried out by the Kenyan state against local and international comrades who participated in the anti-French imperialism demonstration and the counter-summit held in Nairobi against the so called Africa Forward Summit.”

Among those arrested were Dimitiros Patelis, Lee and Danbi from South Korea, Joti Brar from Britain, Gacheke Gachihi, Guy Bremond, Sayialel Mankuyio, Juliaus Kamau, John Kamau, Brian Mwanzi, Derivk Opiyo, Fredrik Yara and Colins Otieno.

The CPMK statement said the arrests exposed the true nature of the regime of Kenya’s President William Ruto as “a neocolonial and comprador administration acting in defence of imperialist interests against the democratic rights of the people.”

The party caled for the “immediate and unconditional release of all arrested comrades, an end to police harassment, abductions and repression against activists, organisers and progressive movements and the immediate halt to all imperialist military, political and economic agreements being imposed upon Kenya and Africa.”

It also demanded “respect for the democratic rights of all participants attending anti-imperialist and Pan African gatherings.”