Ethiopian protesters flood EU premises

By Kaleab Tamene

Brussels,Belgium

November 10, 2005

Ethiopians residing in various EU countries staged a peaceful rally in Brussels,Belgium today condemning the killing of innocent civilians in Ethiopia and the imprisonment of opposition leaders as well as the mass round-up of youths all over the country.

The demonstrators who withstood the onset of the rainy and cold winter season in mainland Europe convened in front of the main EU building at the heart of Europe and strongly expressed their dismay at the EU institutions that provide direct budgetery support to the incubment government that has time and again shown its utter disregard for human life by shooting pregnant women and children whose only crime was running away from the live rounds fired at them by the police and the army.

They unequivocally made it clear that the current government is using the financial support it receives from the EU only to buy weapons to murder,torture and harrass its own citizens.

The demonstrators tried to force their way into the main building and closed traffic for a while.Anti-riot police in full gear who have apparently been called in to intervene by the security staff arrived at the scene quickly.The demonstrators whose tempers were running high backed off immediately at the request of the organizers.The rally which saw one of the highest police presence in contrast to related protests went on without any incident thereon.

Representatives of the demonstrators talked to an envoy of the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union ,Javier Solana and the head of Africa desk with the EU.It was made clear on the occasion that they were told both officials of the EU are well aware of the situation at hand.They were also told that the EU would press the Ethiopian government to release the opposition leaders it has arrested recently and put an end to the disproportionate use of force to quell voilence.

People working in the main and adjacent buildings as well as pedestrians were stopping for a while and sternly looking at the graphic placards carried by the demonstrators.Images portraying the mutilated bodies of children and crying mothers even took the attention of the anti-riot police who peacefully and humbly discharged their task of maintaining law and order.The event was concluded without a single incident.

To see pictures of the protests click here