Protesters march through the centre of the PNG city of Madang to present a petition demanding better law and order. Photo: Supplied / Peter Kinjap
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of the Papua New Guinea city of Madang on Tuesday demanding a greater response to violent protests and safety concerns.
They marched through the town to the local police station, presenting a 1,300-signature petition in response to the assault of a mother and child last week when their vehicle was stopped at a road block.
Road blocks are commonly used as a form of protest, but a community leader, Samuel Roth, said they often spiral into violence.
He said law and order needs to be better enforced to protect citizens and ensure lawful protest, but the government and police had so far done nothing.
Mr Roth said the people want more police and government services in the area.
"There's some protests that involve violence where people disrupt government services very quickly," he said. "For law and order, people want a lasting solution to it."
Samuel Roth said the police commander promised to respond to their concerns in a week.
A child holds a sign at a protest in the PNG city of Madang demanding better law and order. Photo: Supplied / Peter Kinjap
