[Video] Half a million protesters call for a regime change in Ethiopia
Hundreds of thousands of protesters call for a regime change in Ethiopia
By Ismail Akwei | AfricanNews
Tens of thousands of protesters have flooded the streets of Gonder in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia on Sunday demanding a change of government due to the unfair distribution of wealth in the country.
The protest, reported to have been staged in defiance of a government order, is also in solidarity with the Oromia protests held between November last year to March 2016 in opposition to a government development plan in the region which could affect poor farmers.
Images posted by protesters and other eye witnesses on social media show hundreds of thousands of people carrying Ethiopian flags and placards singing and chanting against the government’s regime.
Some placards demanded the release of arrested activists during the Oromia protests while other protesters made the Crossed Arms Resistance gesture which was common during the Oromia protests.
Some videos show the protest to be peaceful and so far no violence has been reported.
Steered by the hashtags #AmharaProtests and #GonderProtests, the protesters bemoan the unfair distribution of wealth in the country and denounced the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) led government affiliated to the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) militant party.
The EPRDF has come under heavy criticism for its handling of the Oromia protests and also its intolerance towards the media and civil society.
Thousands of students, social media activists, and opposition party leaders and supporters were arrested and dozens were charged under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (ATP) while hundreds remained in custody without charges.
Human Rights Watch released a report in June estimating that over 400 Oromo protesters were killed in November 2015, and thousands others arrested by Ethiopian security forces during the protests.
The government however disputed the figures and earlier in March, the Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn blamed the death and destruction on “violent” protesters. He however apologized before parliament for “not listening to the concerns of the people”.
The Oromia and Amhara are two of the nine ethnically based regional states of Ethiopia which are considered the poorest compared to the others.
The protest is expected to build up in the coming days.
____
Hundreds of thousands hold protest rally in Gondar
By ESAT
Hundreds of thousands of people held a peaceful demonstration in Gondar and other towns denouncing the regime and saying enough to tyranny.
Residents of Gondar and its environs headed to the central square of this historic city in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, despite the presence of thousands of regime forces who, in some villages, tried to prevent people from joining the demonstrations. They were, however, overcome by the unwavering but peaceful protesters who, as seen in these videos, were determined that they were not backing up.
They chanted slogans denouncing dictatorship and an end to the regime. They also called for the release of political prisoners, including members of a committee that heads the campaign by the people of Wolkait, Tegede and Telemt in north Gondar, who were forcefully annexed to Tigray region.
The demonstrators have also vowed to restore their identity and territory that’s being tarnished by the tyrannical regime.
The demonstrators, in a show of solidarity, called for an end to the killings perpetrated by the regime in the Oromo region in the last eight months; and for the release of the tens of thousands incarcerated by the regime.
The demonstrators also expressed solidarity with Ethiopian Muslims who have been the target of persecution by the regime that falsely accuse them of terrorism.
They also called for the release of leaders of the Muslim community who have been detained by the regime for peacefully demanding their religious rights.
They denounced the regime for agreeing to give away a vast Ethiopian territory to the Sudan and vowed to protect their land which they said was legitimately theirs.
Reports also show similar protest in towns such as Maksegnit, Eske and other localities in Gondar.
____
Hundreds of thousands hold protest rally in Gondar
By ESAT
Hundreds of thousands of people held a peaceful demonstration in Gondar and other towns denouncing the regime and saying enough to tyranny.
Residents of Gondar and its environs headed to the central square of this historic city in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, despite the presence of thousands of regime forces who, in some villages, tried to prevent people from joining the demonstrations. They were, however, overcome by the unwavering but peaceful protesters who, as seen in these videos, were determined that they were not backing up.
They chanted slogans denouncing dictatorship and an end to the regime. They also called for the release of political prisoners, including members of a committee that heads the campaign by the people of Wolkait, Tegede and Telemt in north Gondar, who were forcefully annexed to Tigray region.
The demonstrators have also vowed to restore their identity and territory that’s being tarnished by the tyrannical regime.
The demonstrators, in a show of solidarity, called for an end to the killings perpetrated by the regime in the Oromo region in the last eight months; and for the release of the tens of thousands incarcerated by the regime.
The demonstrators also expressed solidarity with Ethiopian Muslims who have been the target of persecution by the regime that falsely accuse them of terrorism.
They also called for the release of leaders of the Muslim community who have been detained by the regime for peacefully demanding their religious rights.
They denounced the regime for agreeing to give away a vast Ethiopian territory to the Sudan and vowed to protect their land which they said was legitimately theirs.
Reports also show similar protest in towns such as Maksegnit, Eske and other localities in Gondar.
[Video] Half a million protesters call for a regime change in Ethiopia
Reviewed by Admin
on
12:05 AM
Rating:
Reviewed by Admin
on
12:05 AM
Rating:
No comments: