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A multitude of protesters in opposition to the nation's leader were supported on the streets of the capital city on Saturday afternoon by soldiers from an elite army division, who previously that day stated they would not open fire on demonstrators.

Marching Alongside Heavy Vehicles

Activists walked together with soldiers from the Capsat division, who drove armored vehicles, some waving Madagascar flags, from their barracks in Soanierana in the south of Antananarivo.

Appealing to the Gathering

A Capsat officer, Lylison René de Rolland, then spoke to the enthusiastic gathering in front of the town hall in 13 May Square, which activists had before been blocked from accessing. Capsat troops propelled the current leader, Andry Rajoelina, to power in a coup in 2009.

Raising Pressure on the President

The military's involvement ratcheted up pressure on Rajoelina, who demonstrators have been calling for stand down. The young people-led protests commenced on 25 September, initially over service disruptions. However, they swiftly widened into demands for a comprehensive overhaul of the governance structure, with the youth demonstrators not placated by Rajoelina firing his administration last week.

Law Enforcement Actions

Earlier in the day, security forces fired stun grenades and riot control agents to try to break up the demonstrators. The freshly assigned minister of the armed forces also appealed to troops to "stay composed", at a news conference on Saturday.

"We call on our colleagues who disagree with us to emphasize dialogue," military minister Deramasinjaka Manantsoa Rakotoarivelo declared. "Madagascar's armed forces continues to be a intermediary and represents the nation's last line of defence."

Army Defiance

However, a Capsat commander supported by a significant number of military personnel appealed to other army divisions to "reject directives to shoot your friends", in a footage that was posted on digital networks before they departed from their headquarters.

"We must combine efforts, troops, gendarmes and law enforcement, and refuse to be paid to fire upon our allies, our colleagues and our sisters," he said, also urging troops at the aviation hub to "block all planes from taking off".

"Shut the gates and wait for our directions," he said. "Disregard commands from your officers. Point your firearms at those who order you to shoot at your military brothers, because they will not take care of our relatives if we die."

Leader's Silence

No information has been shared on the leader's digital platforms since Friday night, when he was pictured discussing with the heads of 10 of the nation's colleges to talk about improving students' lives.

Demonstrator Worries

An demonstrator who attended Saturday's protests stated she was apprehensive about the role of Capsat, due to their part in the 2009 coup that installed Rajoelina to power. She also condemned government officials who made short statements to the gathering in front of the town hall as "those seeking advantage".

"For this purpose I'm not rejoicing at all, because all of those individuals gravitating around this 'event' are all risky," stated the demonstrator, who didn't want to be named for concern for her well-being.

Young Generation Outlook

A participant of the young activists, a decentralized organization of students that has assisted in organizing the rallies, also expressed doubts about what would happen next. "We are delighted, but many developments are occurring [and] we wish to avoid another corrupted person to assume control here, so we will take all measures to have the privilege to select who to put up there," he stated.