130109. Cape Town.Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the farmworker protest in De Doorns. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
130109. Cape Town.Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the farmworker protest in De Doorns. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
A farm worker points his fighting stick at police as if it is a gun, during a demonstration due to low wages in the town of Grabouw, South Africa, Wednesday, Jan 9, 2013. Striking farm workers on Wednesday set up barricades and threw stones at motorists and police in a South African province whose vineyards are vital to the wine industry, prompting riot officers to close roads and arrest at least 50 demonstrators, South African media reported. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
130109. Cape Town. Police rubber bullets on the N1 highway to try and break up a large crowd of protesters. Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the protest. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
Cape Town - 130109 - Farm protests erupted in Grabouw as looters pillaged Shoprite. Later, police raided the Rooi Dakke shacks where looters were trying to break into a spaza shop there. 22 year old Ibrahim Abdule, standing guard outside his damaged shop, axe in hand, was injured on the hand as the attackers, armed with sticks and knives tried to break into his shop, something that has happened numerously before. Police used rubber bullets and flashbangs to clear the protesters. One person was arrested as she tried to flee the cops, but was apprehended before she made it out of the store - Shoprite. PICTURE: THOMAS HOLDER
130109. Cape Town. Police patrol a road leading into De Doorns where protesters tried to set some vineyards alight. Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the protest. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
130109. Cape Town. Police fire rubber bullets while protesters throw stones at them. Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the protest. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
130109. Cape Town. A man driving a bakkie with a caravan near the Hexkoel cold storage facility was forced to turn around when he approached a group of protesters around 10am. Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the protest. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
130109. Cape Town. Journalist taking pictures of the Cape Times car which was set alight during the farmworker strike in De Doorns. Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the protest. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
130109. Cape Town. An Independent Newspaper car alight in De Doorns.Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the protest. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
130109. Cape Town. Police arresting a protester on the N1 high Way. Thousands of people marched on the N1 high way during the protest. Police used gas, stunt grenades and rubber bullets to try and control the crowds. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
Farmworkers demonstrate due to low wages in Grabouw. Photo: AP
Police protect a shop from being looted by farmworkers during a demonstration due to low wages in Grabouw Photo: AP
Police provide security as farmworkers demonstrate against low wages in the background, by placing rocks in a road, in Grabouw. Photo: AP
Farmworkers demonstrate due to low wages in the town of Grabouw. Photo: AP
A policeman provide security as farmworkers demonstrate due to low wages in the town of Grabouw. Photo: AP
Published Jan 10, 2013
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De Doorns was turned into a war zone during one of the most violent days of the farmworkers’ strike yet.
For hours police and strikers clashed on the N1, closed because of the violence and the sheer number – about 7 000 – of people.