Protesters battle shunting of a shantytown in Angola

The shantytown of Boavista is perched on the side of a mountain. Not a natural mountain, but one that has swollen over the years as piles of uncollected trash have accumulated there. There are no real roads, just rocky, narrow paths between the small huts and shacks. Pigs wander in the muddy run-offs, and children everywhere play, fight with toy guns, or help their parents prepare food.

But these days there is a new sight in Boavista - a large empty plot filled with rubble, right in the center of the shantytown. This is where 800 families used to live. Their homes were demolished last month, leaving the odd single shoe or school book. Children pick through the piles looking for small treasures, which the original homeowners may not have had time - in their haste - to rescue from the bulldozers. They play football on the newly open space, using broken pieces of cheap furniture as the goal posts.

The shantytown of Boavista is a stone's throw away from Luanda, Angola's capital. Home to 14,000 families, Boavista sits in striking contrast to its surroundings. Above it, sprawls a wealthy neighborhood, where most of the foreign embassies are situated. Below it is the sparkling Bay of Luanda.

On July 8th, armed police stormed Boavista, moved 800 families to a tent camp 27 miles out of town, and bulldozed their shantytown property. Now, most of those people can't afford the daily bus fare to town for schools, churches, jobs, or friends. Alternative housing has been promised, but nothing has happened.

The government justifies the evictions, saying Boavista is fraught with safety hazards and that houses were built illegally. It also cites concerns that the town might be harboring rebel fighters in the ongoing civil war. It plans to remove the 13,000 remaining families in coming months.

Residents and activists here say the government is not acting out of concern for Boavista residents. Instead, they say, the government and its state oil subsidiary SONANGOL are paving the way to build a multimillion-dollar shopping and entertainment complex on the site.

In a country where few typically speak out against the government, and no culture of protest exists, a growing number of protesters appear to be changing that by challenging the government's moves in Boavista.

"This is a test case, and if we don't fight back, we will continually be crushed," says David Mendes, a human rights lawyer. Mr. Mendes is collecting property deeds and tax receipts and is preparing a lawsuit. "It's not much, but it is a beginning."

On the day after the first evictions, residents marched in protest. Subsequent demonstrations have been banned by the government, which has aired stern warnings on TV saying that anyone who violated the order would be severely punished.

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