• Tanzania deployed heavy police and military presence to prevent planned protests.
• The government labeled any protests as illegal and potential coup attempts.
• Hundreds of people died during the October elections, leading to heightened tensions.
• International organizations have condemned the crackdown on activists.
• The situation appeared calm, but reports of small protests emerged.

In Tanzania, security forces, including police and soldiers, were mobilized in major cities on December 9, the anniversary of the country’s independence, to prevent protests following the controversial October elections. The government declared any protests illegal and warned citizens they would be treated as a coup attempt, urging people to stay at home instead of participating in planned demonstrations, according to Reuters and Africanews.

As the country faced its most severe political unrest since gaining independence, estimates indicated that hundreds of citizens lost their lives amid violent protests following the ruling party's victory in the October elections. The government has not provided an official death toll, though U.N. human rights experts suggested at least 700 people may have been extrajudicially killed, supporting calls for justice from various activists, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

The reaction to the government's preemptive measures was a heavy police presence, especially in Dar es Salaam, where citizens reported that police trucks and officers patrolled the streets. Additionally, the authorities erected roadblocks near key government buildings to prevent any assemblies, as officials sought to suppress expressions of dissent against the backdrop of the electoral aftermath, according to Africanews and Al Jazeera.

Despite government efforts to maintain control, some reports indicated the emergence of small protests in certain areas, demonstrating the ongoing discontent among segments of the population. Human rights organizations have condemned the state's approach to dissent, illustrating a growing intolerance towards expressions of political opposition and the rights to assembly and peaceful protest, according to Africanews and Al Jazeera.