“Paul Biya!! Paul Biya!! The country is going badly. The country is going badly. We need a change.” This is how members and sympathisers of a movement christened “Brigade Anti-Sardinards” say they are setting the stage for the exit of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya. President Biya won last year’s elections by over 71% of validly cast votes, but some claim Maurice Kamto who emerged second won.

Since Cameroonians in the diaspora started protests against President Paul Biya over six months ago, the demonstrations this Saturday, May 18, 2019 in Paris had a thick participation.

Protesters came from Europe, Africa and the United States. Anti-Biya activists like Calibri Calibro, Willie de Paris, Emmanuel Kemta,General Wanto, Professor Franklin Nyamsi, Brice Nitcheu and Patrice Nganang among others could be seen in the images at the “liberation march” beamed live on Facebook.

Activists say 80,000 people participated, citing police sources. We can't independently verify the figures but the images speak volumes.

The protest along the streets of Paris this afternoon according to the frontline organisers is to send a message to President Biya that it is time for him to quit the stage and install “true democracy” in the country.

They called on French President Emmanuel Macron to stop supporting President Biya whom they claim is “a dictator” – President Biya and his CPDM party have officially won all elections he’s stood for. Ages 86, Biya has been president since 1982.

Clad in yellow T-shirts with Maurice Kamto’s photo engraved on them, and waving Cameroon’s national flag, sang revolutionary songs demanding the release of members of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party. They demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Maurice Kamto, and allied leaders like Christian Penda Ekoka, Albert Dzongang and Paul Eric Kingue, Valsero and CRM top shots like Alain Fogue Tedom, Michele Ndoki, Celestin Djamen and other members of the party.

Some of them had photos of President Macron and Maurice Kamto.

“Macron stop supporting dictators,” one of the placards read. Other placards carried the photos of some CRM members and allies currently in detention.

“Those who say we don’t have papers in Paris should now see that we are legal residents. Even if we don’t have papers, we will not be arrested.  Let Cameroon copy the example of the French police. They are republican. See how the police are accompanying us. You arrested Kamto and others for simply protesting,” they said as they protested.

Maurice Kamto was arrested on January 26, 2019 along with other members and allies of his CRM party. They have since been charged for their role in protests calling for sweeping electoral reforms and his claim that he won the last presidential elections.

Today's anti Biya protest comes exactly 48 hours to the country's National Day on May 20 and amidst soaring violence in the North West and South West regions.