A citywide curfew was imposed in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday after violent demonstrations erupted during an election that President Samia Suluhu Hassan is widely expected to win, following the exclusion of the two main opposition candidates.

According to reporters, internet connectivity was severely disrupted across Tanzania as videos circulated online showing young protesters hurling stones at security forces and a petrol station engulfed in flames.

Eyewitnesses described unrest in several parts of Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub including the torching of a local government building. In the northern city of Arusha, footage shared on X by the principal opposition party showed dozens of young men running through the streets, black smoke billowing behind them, chanting: "We want our country!"

Demonstrators are expressing outrage over the barring of the leading opposition figures from the election and over reports of the abduction of government critics. Protest organizers are said to have been communicating via the Zello app, which allows smartphones to operate as walkie-talkies.

[The police curfew began at 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), and the U.S. embassy advised American personnel to remain in their homes.]

Officials from the government and police did not respond to media requests for comment. The administration has maintained that the election process is fair and has rejected claims of widespread human rights abuses during the campaign period.