South African lawmakers of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party brawled with parliamentary orderlies as they were ejected from the chamber for interrupting President Jacob Zuma’s state-of-the-nation speech on Thursday.
Scuffling spilled over into the precincts of the building, Reuters reporters saw, as the lawmakers, clad in their trademark red overalls, continued to push the orderlies ejecting them on the Speaker’s orders.
Police fired stun grenades outside to disperse supporters of rival EFF and the ruling African National Congress party.
The main opposition party walked out of parliament, led by official opposition leader Mmusi Maimane.
(Reporting by Wendell Roelf and Ed Stoddard; Writing by James Macharia; editing by John Stonestreet)