Ethiopian opposition
activists on Sunday demanded the release of journalists and political prisoners
jailed under anti-terror legislation in demonstrations in two major towns. In
rare public outpours of anger, people marched peacefully in the towns of Gondar
and Dessie, chanting "freedom" and carrying pictures of jailed
politicians and journalists.
Government officials said
there were around 1,500 protesters in total in both towns, while the activists
themselves claimed the number to be as high as 20,000. "The protests were
peaceful and successful," said Senegas Gidada, protest organiser and
chairman of the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) party. "We are
unhappy about the lack of human rights and democratic freedom in
Ethiopia," he added.
The demonstrations follow a
rally last month in the capital Addis Ababa when several thousand activists
demanded the government adhere to basic human rights. The recent rallies are
the largest since post-election violence in 2005 resulted in 200 people being
killed and 30,000 arrested.
"The cost of living is
too high. We have no rights. They took away my family's property and land and
gave us no compensation," said one young unemployed protester, who asked
not be named, but who was speaking by telephone from Gondar. "The dogs on
the street have more freedom than we do. We are here to demand freedom and we
will continue to protest until the government makes fundamental changes."
But the government
dismissed the protesters' calls. "The protesters are demanding the release
of prisoners who have been convicted of terrorism, these are not pro-democracy
protests," government spokesman Shemeles Kemal told AFP.
"Most of these
demonstrators are Islamic extremists. The government is not concerned by these
demonstrations. They are meddling in religious issues and mixing them with
political matters." The government had allowed the protests to go ahead
despite earlier saying they had not received official permission.
Protesters have said they
will continue to demonstrate until the government addresses their grievances. Journalists,
opposition members and religious leaders have been jailed under Ethiopia's 2009
anti-terrorism legislation, which rights groups say is used by the government
to stifle peaceful dissent. Ethiopian journalist, Eskinder Nega, and UDJ
Vice-Chairman, Andualem Arage, were both jailed last year under the
government's anti-terror legislation for treason and conspiring to commit acts
of terror. Another demonstration is planned for next month. Source ( AFP)
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