Footage of Rwandan newlyweds and family guests forced to spend their wedding night in stadia for breaching coronavirus rules has sparked criticism.

One bride said that spending the evening at a stadium “on my wedding day is a bad memory that will never fade in my life”, adding:

“Inflicting pain and shaming people like this doesn’t make us fear corona or observe measures.”

Police in the capital, Kigali, had stopped at least three weddings over the Easter weekend because they exceeded the maximum of 20 attendees.

A police spokesperson told Rwandan media that “more people throwing parties are violating the measures”, and police wouldn’t allow it to continue.

Some people online said officers were “now going too far” by unlawfully holding people for night hours in stadiums, while others praised the police for taking action to “keep them safe”.

Clarisse Karasira, a Rwandan music star, tweeted “this act lacks humanity”, and said that it was “an eternal pain to the couple and their children”.

Rwanda’s response to Covid-19 has been praised internationally, but activists and opposition have deplored deep human rights violations in the process.

The country has recorded more than 22,000 cases of Covid-19 and 311 deaths.