A UNC spokesman says that it is likely that petitions with thousands of signatures will arise out of the assemblies and be sent to the President. They are therefore obviously intended for UNC supporters. The danger is, then, that the purpose of the assemblies is not enlightenment but frenzy. A series of planned do them first occasions. Indeed, a UNC spokesman described the effort as putting the party on a war footing .
Assemblies is therefore somewhat of a misnomer.
A better word might be rallies . There is no question of the gatherings being organised either to attract the public at large or to find a solution to the crisis. Their purpose is to intimidate, first the President and secondly business interests, with the prospect of serious unrest. Any petitions that may come out of them will be merely the pretext. This is a highly irresponsible thing for a government to do.