Protests in Kigali

On Wednesday, November 19th, there were city wide protests in Kigali in opposition to France's arrest of a promenent Rwandan woman. Starting around 8:30 am, throngs of citizens walked the streets, many following pick-up trucks stacked with speakers, a bousterous man leading chants and singing from the bed of the "malori." For most of the morning, I stayed in my hotel room and watched from the second story window. Although Rwandans are renown for thier civility, orienting myself with the city could wait until after the tens of thousands citizens had returned to thier everyday lives. Near noon, one of my coworkers met me at my hotel and we spent an hour meandering through the capitol before heading to the office. Many of the protestors were on their way home and in pleasant spirits. We, my coworker and I, were the only "muzungus" and I cautiously celebrated being in such a minority. In an ironic refersal of my previous assimilation priotiy, I tried to look as American, in order to less French, as possible. Good thing I didn't work at the Fleur De Cocoa for more than 3 months. It was a lesson in humility and being deliberate in what attitude I presented as a guest in this country.