Over 10,000 Ethiopians staged an anti-government demonstration today in the first large-scale protest in almost 8 years.
The protests called for the release of detained political leaders and journalists. Speaking to the Guardian, the organiser of the protest and chairmen of the Semanayawi (Blue) party, Yilekal Getachewm said,
“We have repeatedly asked the government to release political leaders, journalists and those who asked the government not to intervene in religious affairs,”
“If these questions are not resolved and no progress is made in the next three months, we will organise more protests. It is the beginning of our struggle.”
Ethiopia has often been criticised by human rights groups for clamping down on opposition and the media on false grounds of national security.
Last year the Ethiopian court sentenced 20 journalists, opposition figures and others to long sentences for conspiring to topple the government, resulting in at least 10 journalists receiving charges under the anti-terrorism law.
