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A multitude of demonstrators against Madagascar's president were supported on the roads of the capital on Saturday afternoon by soldiers from an premier army squadron, who previously that day said they would not open fire on protesters.

Proceeding With Military Vehicles

Protesters walked with military personnel from the Capsat unit, who operated military vehicles, some brandishing the country's banners, from their base in Soanierana in the southern district of Antananarivo.

Appealing to the Crowds

A Capsat officer, Lylison René de Rolland, then spoke to the supportive masses in front of the city hall in 13 May Square, which protesters had before been prevented from reaching. Capsat soldiers installed the present leader, Andry Rajoelina, to leadership in a seizure of power in 2009.

Escalating Pressure on the President

The troops' intervention increased strain on Rajoelina, who activists have been demanding stand down. The young people-led demonstrations broke out on 25 September, at first over water and electricity cuts. However, they swiftly widened into calls for a complete restructuring of the governance structure, with the gen Z demonstrators not satisfied by Rajoelina firing his government last week.

Law Enforcement Actions

That morning, law enforcement deployed disorientation devices and chemical irritants to try to break up the activists. The freshly assigned defense minister also appealed to soldiers to "remain calm", at a news 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 is still a intermediary and forms the country's ultimate protection."

Troop Opposition

However, a Capsat commander joined by a significant number of troops appealed to other troop formations to "reject directives to attack your friends", in a recording that was published on online platforms before they departed from their barracks.

"We should unite, troops, gendarmes and law enforcement, and refuse to be paid to fire upon our comrades, our brothers and our sisters," he declared, also calling on military personnel at the aviation hub to "stop all aircraft from leaving".

"Shut the gates and await our directions," he said. "Ignore commands from your superiors. Aim your arms at those who command you to attack your fellow soldiers, because they will not support our families if we perish."

President's Lack of Response

No information has been posted on the president's digital platforms since Friday night, when he was pictured conferring with the leaders of 10 of the nation's colleges to discuss bettering students' lives.

Protester Worries

An protester who participated in the Saturday rallies stated she was apprehensive about the participation of Capsat, due to their part in the 2009 coup that brought Rajoelina to leadership. She also denounced government officials who made brief addresses to the crowds in front of the municipal building as "opportunists".

"That's why I'm not feeling joyful at all, because all of those figures gravitating around this 'development' are all dangerous," commented the activist, who didn't want to be named for concern for her well-being.

Gen Z Viewpoint

A representative of Gen Z Madagascar, a leaderless group of students that has supported the arrangement of the protests, also voiced concerns about what would transpire in the future. "We are very happy, but significant events are unfolding [and] we don't want another corrupted individual to take the power here, so we will employ all means to have the right to elect who to install in leadership," he said.