On May 1, 2024, the *Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs du Bénin* (CSTB), Benin’s largest labor union, organized a demonstration to protest the rising cost of living and declining purchasing power. However, the authorities swiftly banned the gathering, leading to a heavy-handed police response.
Security forces arrested 72 demonstrators, including union leaders, and placed 21 of them in pretrial detention on charges of cannabis use. Union representatives and activists have dismissed these allegations as a tactic to suppress dissent.
"Ridiculous and toxic argument from a government that is losing momentum and inventing subterfuges to intimidate workers," said Nestor Kouakanou, a member of CSTB.
The demonstration was part of a growing wave of frustration among Benin’s working class, who say economic hardship has worsened under President Patrice Talon’s administration. The crackdown also highlights increasing restrictions on civic space in a country once celebrated for its democratic openness.
"Our motivations are related to the majority malaise among citizens today: the high cost of living and the decline in purchasing power," said Anselme Amoussou, secretary general of the *Confédération des Syndicats Autonomes du Bénin* (CSA-Benin).
This latest suppression of union activism raises concerns about the government’s intolerance for public protests, further diminishing avenues for workers to voice their grievances.
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