Snouts in the trough

SQUEALING, THE ten tiny piglets ran around in panic as policemen booted them with such force that they flew into the air. What ought to have been a comical sight—painted pigs dashing around outside Uganda’s parliament—was marred by the same violence that is meted out to all opposition, no matter how peaceful, against the government of Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 30 years.

The pigs were released on September 15th by two activists from the self-styled Jobless Brotherhood in protest against a decision by MPs (or “MPigs” as the group calls them) to award themselves 200m Ugandan shillings ($59,000) each to spend on fancy new cars.