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Thousands of activists opposing the nation's head of state were joined on the avenues of the capital on Saturday by troops from an premier army squadron, who that morning declared they would not open fire on activists.

Proceeding Together with Heavy Cars

Demonstrators marched with troops from the Capsat division, who drove military transports, some waving Madagascar flags, from their barracks in Soanierana in the south of Antananarivo.

Addressing the Masses

A Capsat officer, Lylison René de Rolland, then spoke to the enthusiastic masses in front of the city hall in 13 May Square, which demonstrators had earlier been prevented from reaching. Capsat military personnel propelled the present head of state, Andry Rajoelina, to leadership in a takeover in 2009.

Raising Tension on the President

The soldiers' involvement ratcheted up pressure on Rajoelina, who demonstrators have been insisting on resign. The student-led protests erupted on 25 September, at first over utility shortages. However, they quickly widened into calls for a total overhaul of the governance structure, with the younger generation activists not appeased by Rajoelina dismissing his government last week.

Security Forces Measures

Earlier in the day, police fired flashbangs and chemical irritants to try to scatter the activists. The freshly assigned minister of the armed forces also appealed to soldiers to "stay composed", at a news conference on Saturday.

"We call on our comrades who oppose us to prioritise communication," minister general Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo stated. "The Malagasy army remains a intermediary and forms the nation's final safeguard."

Army Opposition

However, a Capsat leader accompanied by a sizable contingent of soldiers called on other troop formations to "refuse orders to attack your allies", in a footage that was shared on social media before they departed from their base.

"We should unite, army, gendarmes and law enforcement, and decline compensation to attack our allies, our comrades and our sisters," he said, also calling on soldiers at the airport to "stop all aircraft from departing".

"Shut the access points and expect our orders," he stated. "Ignore directives from your superiors. Direct your arms at those who command you to fire on your fellow soldiers, because they will not support our families if we are killed."

Leader's Silence

No information has been published on the leader's digital platforms since Friday night, when he was seen discussing with the leaders of 10 of the state's colleges to address enhancing the student experience.

Demonstrator Apprehensions

An protester who attended Saturday's demonstrations said she was concerned about the role of Capsat, due to their involvement in the 2009 takeover that brought Rajoelina to authority. She also denounced politicians who made brief speeches to the masses in front of the city hall as "self-serving individuals".

"For this purpose I'm not feeling joyful at all, because all of those people circling this 'situation' are all risky," said the activist, who didn't want to be named for fear for her security.

Gen Z Outlook

A member of the youth movement, a non-hierarchical group of students that has supported the arrangement of the protests, also expressed doubts about what would occur subsequently. "We are very happy, but a lot is happening [and] we wish to avoid another dishonest individual to gain authority here, so we will employ all means to have the opportunity to choose who to put up there," he stated.