SEATTLE – Ethiopians around the world have launched protest rallies ahead of a February 19 court ruling pre-determined by the government in Addis Ababa to subject elected leaders of a popular opposition, members of the independent press and civil rights activists to long-term prison sentences on grounds of fabricated charges of ‘treason’ and ‘genocide.’
From Las Vegas to Minnesota, from Pretoria to Washington DC, Ethiopian protesters defied adverse weather, to once again call on the international community to pressure the Meles Zenawi dictatorship to release the elected leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUD-Kinijit), journalists and civil rights advocates following a nationwide crackdown in a 2005 post-election crisis.
Here in Seattle, a midday protest rally is expected to draw activists to a downtown rallying center.
In Minnesota, a Kinijit news release says hundreds of demonstrators protested in front of Minnesota Sate Capitol. Despite the frigid weather, calling for the immediate release of kinijit leaders. Wearing heavy jackets, hooded sweat shirts and gloves to protect themselves from cold weather, the demonstrators chanted “Free Our Kinijit Leaders” and “Free all prisoners of conscience in Ethiopia.”
Kinijit rallies were also held in other cities throughout the world on this day. Thursday Feb. 15, 2007— from Washington DC, USA to Europe, Africa, Australia; Canada; — –creating one of the strongest shows of force to date by hundreds of thousands of people around the world against the Woyanne kangaroo court plan to sentence the political opponents to death on February 19.
Demonstrators denounced the ongoing gross human rights violations, including detention without trial, extra-judicial killings of innocent civilians, and demanded the release of unjustly jailed leaders and civil rights activists as well as journalists.
Some of these slogans were: Free Kinijit Leaders; Free Journalists Free Civil Right Advocates; Free all prisoners of conscience in Ethiopia; Say no to state terrorism in Ethiopia; Say no to state terrorism in Ethiopia; Stop the sham trial in Ethiopia; Meles is a war criminal; Meles is a murderer; Stop supporting Ethiopian dictator! Meles is a killer; Meles is a child Killer.
In addition, letters were submitted by Kinijit Support Group in Minnesota to Governor Tim Pawlenty and Lt. Governor Carol Molnau; Speaker of the House, Margaret Anderson Kelliher; and Minority Leader, Marty Seifert.
The rally, organized by Kinijit-DC chapter, was held in front of the U.S. Capitol starting at 9 AM.
The keynote speaker at the rally was Ms. Helen Butler, Coordinator of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda.
Ms. Butler read a resolution passed by the Martin Luther King Jr Human Rights Symposium.
Other speakers included Ato Berhane Mewa, Secretary General of Kinijit International Leadership, Ato Aklog Lemeneh, Chairman of Kinijit North America, Ato Obang Metho, Executive Director of the Anuak Justice Council, and Ato Yassin Kassim, a representative of the Ethiopian Somali Community.
The speakers appealed to the U.S. Congress to take a stand on the worsening human rights abuse in Ethiopia.
Ato Fekade Shewakena, member of the Kinijit DC Public Relations Committee, told Ethiopian Review after the rally that he doesn’t expect justice from the Woyanne regime, and that the only way to get justice is to get organized and fighting for it.
As the international community, particularly the U.S. Government–which gives hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to the Woyanne dictatorship–continues to turn its back on democracy and human rights in Ethiopia, Kinijit leaders are redirecting their focus on peaceful popular uprising at home. To that end, the Kinijit leadership last week has called for boycott of schools, Woyanne-controlled businesses, work slowdowns, and other peaceful means of protest.
Due to limited media access, the call by the Kinijit leaders is slow in reaching the people. The Woyanne kangaroo court will hand down verdicts against Kinijit leaders next Monday, Feb 19.
