September 19,2016
Video Credit : ESAT
Toronto – Ethiopians from far and near DMV, and from all walks of life, trickled to Washington DC braving ugly rain to protest against minority Tigray regime in Ethiopia.
A source who is attending the protest rally told the writer that Ethiopians traveled from other states to join the rally and modest estimates of the number of protesters is 20,000.
Rain didn’t stop protesters from marching to the United States Congress. Major roads close by the United States Congress and State Department were closed by protesters.
The rally started in front of United States State Department. Then Protesters marched in the streets of Washington DC and to United States Congress.
The protest is organized by more than twenty five civic organization.
Uncommon about today’s massive protest was that demographic proportion of youth, even youth born and grew up in the United States, was higher- something many seem to take as a measure of seriousness of killings by the regime in power. The chaotic political situation in Ethiopia made headlines internationally more more than two months now.
Killings in Ethiopia
Protesters condemned killings of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians in different parts of Ethiopia for demanding change and demanded an end to what they call is a minority regime and called on perpetrators to be held responsible for deaths of thousands of Ethiopians.
Slogans that condemn the minority regime in Ethiopia and encourage United States government to stop supporting the regime in Ethiopia and instead do all it can to stop what protesters called developing genocide in Ethiopia were chanted.
United States is the leading donor country to the regime. It considers it as anally in the fight against Terrorism. However, the United States has a huge business venture in Ethiopia as it the case with Canada.
Initiatives to stop killings of Civilians in Ethiopia
Last week, Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey submitted HR 861 Bill, “Supporting respect for human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia”, to the congress which is submitted to Committee on foreign affairs in the Congress.
Regime in Ethiopia deployed armed force against civilians in Gonder and Gojam following outbreak of peaceful protest. Consequently, hundreds were killed. Thousands led to detention centres. Unreported deaths are expected as the regime imposed communication blackout in the region. There is also tension in Oromia region of Ethiopia ; close to a thousand civilians are reported dead in the region.
Situation not improving
Despite extensive appearance of the ruling TPLF officials in state television to propagate about “change” in the way they do politics in the country, all evidences coming out of Ethiopia suggest that the regime is in fact travelling along the direction of intensifying repression.
Several days ago, a whole town village in Konso was entirely burned in what appears to be scorched earth policy. Victims include a new mom and elders whose remains were found in the ashes. Twenty five more civilians are reported killed.
Last Friday, Nigist Yirga, a young lady who has been vocal and in the front line of peaceful protest in Gonder was abducted by TPLF security forces on her way to her home. Her whereabouts is not confirmed yet.
Written by Dimetros Birku. Can be reached on twitter : @dimetros
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