Kinshasa, les 19, 20 et 21 janvier 2015. Une révolte démocratique

January 19, 2015. As the Congolese Senate was about to pass controversial election legislation, unrest broke out in most Kinshasa neighborhoods, lasting for three days in spite of a violent crackdown. The scope of these protests was exceptional and led the Upper Chamber to back down. This surprising mobilization, part demonstration and part riot, derived from a way of exercising power which generated a series of unavoidable constraints for the means and forms of protest. Thus, destruction and looting must be considered as alternative political expressions within the context of thwarted demonstrations. This revolt testified to the popular appropriation of the principle of party changeover in a democracy.