ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 major opposition party of Ethiopia, UDJ (Unity
for Democracy and Justice), in collaboration with the coalition of 33 political
parties held a brief public demonstration in protest against the controversial
Anti-Terrorism Proclamation No. 652/2009 and other human and democratic rights
violations. The demonstration was called as a closure to the party’s three
months long campaign titled “Millions of Voices for Freedom”.
The demonstration got its route blocked by police in the very beginning
however thousands of demonstrators could chant their oppositions in the spot
where it was started. Many applauded these demonstrators for they took risk to face
the infamous brutality of police in Ethiopia and kept themselves peaceful until
the dispersion of the gathering.
Police blocked the demonstration route to Mesqel square reasoning out
that Mesqel square is under construction of the city railroad. This, however,
didn’t satisfy the organizers of the demonstration because the square hosted a
demonstration called by Union of Religious Institution and Ministry of Federal
Affairs a month ago as well as another religious event called Mesqel where
hundreds of thousands people attended just three days before this demonstration
was called.
The government officials instead suggested the demonstration to be held
in a compound known as ‘Janmeda’ which is a few kilometers away from the head
office of UDJ. The organizers refused to accept that proposal mentioning the fact that the compound
is 100 meters away from a military camp and that according to Demonstration
Proclamation No. 003/1991 Article 7/2 – which enforces demonstrations to be
held at least 500 meters away from any military camp.
On the other hand, the organizers of the demonstration suggested 9
other spots where they would rather hold the demonstration to which the Addis
Ababa City Administration failed to respond in either agreement or rejection. Nevertheless,
on the very day of the demonstration, police made a fence of the street to
hinder protesters go to each of the suggested places of protest by the
organizers. After hours of chanting on the exact spot where the demonstration
was started, the organizers dismissed it making closing speeches and promising
to further precede the peaceful struggle in every possible way.
Blue Party’s public
demonstration was also cracked down by police a week ago, on the 9th
of September 2013, for the same reason.
Watch a short video of the protest:
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