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Thousands of protesters in opposition to the nation's head of state were accompanied on the streets of the main city on Saturday by soldiers from an specialized army division, who earlier in the day said they would not fire on activists.

Proceeding Alongside Armored Cars

Activists proceeded together with soldiers from the Capsat squadron, who piloted armored vehicles, some brandishing national flags, from their barracks in Soanierana in the south of Antananarivo.

Speaking to the Gathering

A Capsat leader, Lylison René de Rolland, then spoke to the cheering gathering in front of the municipal building in 13 May Square, which protesters had earlier been blocked from accessing. Capsat troops propelled the incumbent head of state, Andry Rajoelina, to authority in a seizure of power in 2009.

Raising Pressure on the Head of State

The troops' participation increased tension on Rajoelina, who demonstrators have been insisting on resign. The youth-led protests erupted on 25 September, initially over service disruptions. However, they quickly expanded into demands for a total reform of the governance structure, with the youth protesters not satisfied by Rajoelina firing his government last week.

Security Forces Response

That morning, law enforcement fired stun grenades and chemical irritants to try to scatter the activists. The freshly assigned minister of the armed forces also called on troops to "keep peaceful", at a press conference on Saturday.

"We urge our colleagues who disagree with us to focus on communication," minister general Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo declared. "Our nation's military remains a peacemaker and forms the nation's ultimate protection."

Troop Defiance

However, a Capsat commander joined by a significant number of soldiers urged other troop formations to "refuse orders to fire upon your friends", in a footage that was shared on digital networks before they departed from their barracks.

"We must combine efforts, army, gendarmes and officers, and refuse to be paid to fire upon our friends, our colleagues and our compatriots," he said, also urging troops at the aviation hub to "stop all flights from taking off".

"Shut the access points and await our orders," he declared. "Do not obey commands from your officers. Point your arms at those who instruct you to shoot at your comrades-in-arms, because they will not support our relatives if we die."

Leader's Inactivity

No updates has been posted on the head of state's online profiles since Friday night, when he was pictured meeting the heads of 10 of the nation's higher education institutions to talk about enhancing students' lives.

Protester Worries

An activist who attended Saturday's demonstrations said she was apprehensive about the involvement of Capsat, due to their involvement in the 2009 takeover that propelled Rajoelina to authority. She also denounced government officials who made short statements to the masses in front of the city hall as "opportunists".

"For this purpose I'm not feeling joyful at all, because all of those figures gravitating around this 'development' are all concerning," said the protester, who didn't want to be named for apprehension for her safety.

Youth Viewpoint

A participant of the youth movement, a non-hierarchical collective of young people that has supported the arrangement of the rallies, also raised questions about what would occur subsequently. "We feel pleased, but a lot is happening [and] we wish to avoid another untrustworthy individual to take the power here, so we will employ all means to have the right to select who to install in leadership," he said.