A huge crowd of people attended a protest march in

the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa, on May 26. The march was

organised by the Human Rights and Democracy Movement, which claims 20,000 people took to the streets. The demonstration took aim at the monopoly electricity company, Shoreline Power, and other public utilities now owned by members of Tonga's royal family. The protest was sparked by the high cost of electricity. Shoreline's chairperson, Crown Prince Tuputo'a, made an 11th-hour attempt to defuse the protest by offering to return the power operation to government control.

From Green Left Weekly, June 1, 2005.
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