Protests claim more lives in Kenya (VIDEO)

Kenya’s human rights commission has accused the police of operating alongside “armed criminal gangs” during the latest rallies

At least 11 people have been killed and dozens of others, including law enforcement officers, injured in a new wave of nationwide anti-government protests in Kenya, according to police officials in the East African country.

The latest casualties add to a growing toll from deadly unrest that has gripped Kenya in recent weeks.

The protests on Monday were held to mark the 35th anniversary of Saba Saba – Swahili for “Seven Seven” – a historic July 7, 1990 uprising against single-party rule that is now remembered annually as a symbol of resistance to repression and economic injustice.

In a statement late on Monday, the Kenyan National Police Service (NPS) said 63 people, including 52 police officers and 11 civilians, were wounded during the demonstrations, which it claimed were infiltrated by “criminals.”

At least 19 vehicles – 12 belonging to the police, three to government agencies, and four to civilians – were damaged, according to the statement. A total of 567 people were arrested, the NPS said, praising its personnel for “demonstrating exceptional restraint and professionalism in the face of sustained violence and provocation by criminals.”

BREAKING NEWS: Massive protests are happening in Kenya