Eight people have been reported killed as huge crowds took to the streets of Sudan amid a communications blackout to rally against the country’s military leadership that seized power eight months ago.
Six people were fatally shot when police fired live ammunition at protesters in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.
Across the Nile River in Khartoum, another person died from a gunshot wound in the head and a child died after being shot in the chest, according to the group, which tracks casualties during protests.
Authorities have not yet identified all eight people.
Tens of thousands of people were estimated to be protesting in Khartoum and its twin cities of Omdurman and Bahri.
Security forces used tear gas and water cannons to prevent protesters from marching towards the presidential palace in central Khartoum.
Protests erupted on Monday, when General Abdel-Fattah Burhan declared a state of emergency and announced the dissolution of a historic transitional government formed in 2019. The “March of Millions” on Saturday, however, is expected to be the largest coordinated demonstration to date.
