New opposition protests against proposed laws to govern public demonstrations, accompanied by a police crackdown, have increased political tension, although serious trouble is unlikely. Leading the protests is the Alliance nationale pour le changement (ANC), which broke away last year from the main opposition party, Union des forces de changement (UFC), after the UFC joined a unity government with the long-term ruling party, Rassemblement du peuple togolais (RPT). Although ANC protests have been a weekly event in the capital, Lomé, since last year's disputed presidential election, most have been relatively low-key. However, on March 17th several hundred demonstrators clashed with police, who responded by using tear gas and rubber bullets in a series of running battles. The ANC, part of the broader Front républicain pour l'alternance et le changement (FRAC) alliance, is particularly angered by new draft laws regulating public demonstrations, which the party claims are too restrictive and intended to stifle legitimate protests. Whether or not the ANC has a case, it is certainly exploiting the issue in order to stay in the spotlight. The party, led by Jean-Pierre Fabre, has also dismissed a call for multiparty dialogue from the president, Faure Gnassingbé, until certain conditions are met, including the restoration to parliament of the nine former UFC deputies who were expelled after defecting to the ANC (January 2011, The political scene).

The proposed new law is receiving closer examination, although it has been drafted with the help of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and replaces colonial-era legislation, which governments have frequently used to clamp down on opponents. The legislation is compatible with international democratic standards, and although it has been approved by the cabinet, it may still be amended. The full details are still uncertain, but the new law liberalises the system by removing the obligation to seek a licence before holding a demonstration, while also tightening it by making the organisers liable for any damage and prescribing heavy penalties. However, whatever the merits (or otherwise) of the new law, the timing is certainly inopportune, given the spread of pro-democracy protests throughout North Africa and the Middle East, which is inspiring an opposition addicted to protest to accuse the government of restricting political freedom.