This is with reference to Sunny Ntayombya’s opinion, "The Oxford protestors made me ashamed of being African”, published in The New Times yesterday.

I am sure that being an African has nothing to do with the behaviour of those misguided Congolese. You will always find people like them masquerading as demonstrators in all corners of the globe.

However, what I’m ashamed of is the London Metropolitan Police that was reckless in handling the security of a foreign dignitary. Why wasn’t the security perimeter erected outside the campus? Why did the London Police allow them to get close to presidential motorcade?

If it were Barack Obama or David Cameron, would the London Police have allowed those disoriented Congolese protesters to get that close to them? These are questions that can only be answered by the London Police.

Truthfully, I’ve never seen something like this in North America! It’s only now that I come to realise how efficient Canadian and American Police forces are when it comes to protecting foreign dignitaries. 

Aluta Continua, MississaugaOntario, Canada

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While I actually found the opinion interesting and relevant, I do not appreciate the author’s reference to the protestors as "animals”. 

Their actions were indeed misguided but they are humans. Name calling has never solved anything nor will it suddenly make them stop blaming outsiders for their internal problems.

While I did not witness the scene, I am also curious to find out as Aluta pointed out, how and why London Police let the protesters get so close to the presidential motorcade.

Rukundo, KigaliRwanda

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It wasn’t failure; but those ill-fated protesters were simply showing us how hooliganism has very much affected the poor Africans who spend half of their lives sweeping European streets. 

The Congolese still think that we [Africans] are still in the colonial era. But any way, don’t blame them; blame their leaders who don’t want to show them the true image of their political turmoil and chose to willingly dump their own country into the hands of imperialists – those who put their nose where it doesn’t belong by claiming to know what’s good and bad for every country.

Ramadhan Zigama, KampalaUganda