Ethiopia Free to protest, just a bit Could political demonstrations in Ethiopia herald greater freedom?
A RARE flicker of political protest graced the streets of Ethiopia’s otherwise regimented capital, Addis Ababa, on June 2nd. Demonstrators marched peacefully through the city, many carrying pictures of imprisoned loved ones. Later they gathered on Churchill Avenue, the capital’s main thoroughfare, where they were told that a new struggle had begun. Yilekal Getachew, chairman of the opposition Semayawi (Blue) party, demanded the release of political prisoners and railed against unemployment and corruption. Campaigners claim that as many as 10,000 people attended; government officials say the number was nearer 4,000. Whatever the true figure, it was the biggest demonstration in Ethiopia since 2005, when protests amid claims of election rigging were violently suppressed, leaving nearly 200 unarmed protesters dead and thousands arrested. Related topics Since then the political opposition has been eviscerated. Its leaders have been jailed or have gone into exile, the media h