 News Report Thousands in Atlanta denounce tyranny in Ethiopia
ATLANTA, GA (ETV) – An estimated 10,000 Ethiopians and the friends of Ethiopia protesting against the tyrannical regime of Meles Zenawi in their homeland marched July 8 from Martin Luther King Jr Center through CNN headquarters to the Centennial Park in Atlanta. Rallied around the banner “Respect the Vote!”, the marchers drew solidarity support mainly from African Americans and citizens of the Carribean islands, a reminder of a long standing solidarity of the peoples’ quest for freedom and justice from the iron-grip of tyrannical regimes. Organized by the Atlanta civic and political committee “Wegen Lewogen,” the Ethiopians from all over the US and the world at large have been converging in Atlanta to celebrate the 22nd annual Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA) whose soccer championships were under way in the city. The annual sports tournament turned into an opportune forum to denounce the killings of at least 40 unarmed demonstrators by security forces of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, whose ruling party suffered losses in May elections in the country and declared a state of emergency despite a peaceful and 90% voter turnout in Africa’s second most populous nation. The protestors chanted: CNN report the truth! Meles Zenawi is a mass murderer! USA Stop supporting the murderer! USA Condemn the atrocities of Meles Zenawi! Respect the voice of Ethiopians! Free all political Prisoners Among the speakers were two distinguished American civil rights activists, Dr T. Brooks, Georgia state legislative Black officials’ president and the Reverend Dr. J. Lauren, successor of Martin Luther King Jr.. They expressed their support of freedom in Ethiopia and condemned the atrocities perpetrated by the incumbent regime in Ethiopia. Professor Donald Levine, a prominent scholar on Ethiopia, also sent a message of solidarity with the justice-seeking Ethiopians. Prof. Mesfin W.Mariam representing the opposition CUD and Prof. Merera Gudina of the UDEF also addressed the rally, in which performances by pop singer Solomon Tekalign and other artists were part of the highlights of the event which began July 7. Ethiopians in the Diaspora also held vigil, rallies and demonstrations throughout the World, including 29 major Metropolitan centers on the same date to resist the resent killings against peaceful protesters who demanded free and fair election. The places where these events were held under the banner “Respect the Vote ” include: Atlanta, Stockholm, Winnipeg, Gleneagles (G8 Summit), Oslo, Brussels, Paris, Switzerland, Berlin, The Hague, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, Chicago, Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Boston, Washington DC, Dallas-Austin, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Sydney and South Africa.
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