The participation of the war veterans association, a group of soldiers who fought in the country's war for independence, is perhaps the most notable aspect of the protests. The group was once counted among Mugabe's most stalwart supporters, and its members often acted as his political muscle. Last month, however, the group — whose ranks number in the tens of thousands — wrote a letter denouncing Mugabe for his "dictatorial tendencies." Since then, the organization's top leaders have been arrested by governing officials seeking to quash dissent. The group's reversal was likely motivated by the Mugabe administration's inability to maintain the level of patronage the veterans once enjoyed, a sign of the government's broader struggle to hold on to the loyalty of its key constituencies. The veterans' withdrawal of support is also only one of several factors driving the latest uptick in social unrest.