Dear Oromo community and friends of the Oromo living in Washington DC Metropolitan Area and other states of USA,
As different mass media outlets are streaming, the Oromo people in general and students at different levels (Elementary, High School, University) in particular are currently protesting against the implementation of the plan to expand the city of Addis Ababa into the neighboring Oromo farmers land, which not only displaces millions of Oromo farmers from their ancestral land, but also causes loss of Oromo culture, history and identity. The response by the dictatorial bloodthirsty minority government of the TPLF is shooting to kill, beating, imprisoning and torturing of the peaceful protestors. As we recall, in2014; more than 70 students were gunned down for peacefully demanding to stop the implementation of the land grab expansion plan. Despite the firm opposition to this plan from all Oromo, internal and external, and many losses of lives and causalities, the government moves ahead with its proposed plan. As a result it happens again and at least three Oromo students were confirmed killed, hundreds injured and detained by Ethiopian security forces over the past weeks.
Hence, the Oromo Community Organization (OCO) of the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Oromo Youth Self-help Association (OYSA), the International Oromo Women’s Organization (IOWO), theMacha Tulama Association (MTA), the International Qeerroo Support Group(IQSG), and the Oromo Community Association in North America (OCO_NA) have jointly planned to hold a protest rally in front of the White House and US State Department on Thursday, December 10, 2015 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM against the Oromo massacre by the TPLF led minority regime in Ethiopia.
The purpose of this protest rally is to strongly protest against the ongoing widespread illegal grabbing of Oromo land under the guise of development, eviction, human rights violations extrajudicial killings of Oromo in general and Oromo students in different Schools and Universities in particular by the TPLF minority regime in Ethiopia. It is also to alert the world of the systematic heinous crimes perpetrated against the entire Oromo nation and request the U.S Administration to exert utmost pressure to:
- stop the arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, tortures and killings of Oromo students
- respect the rule of law and bring those who committed extrajudicial killings to court
- reverse the implementation of Oromo evicting Addis Ababa Expansion Plan in order to respect the demand of the Oromo people
- release all Oromo prisoners without any prerequisite
Therefore, we call upon all Oromo nationals and friends living in and around Washington D.C as well as in other states of the United States to participate in this peaceful demonstration to stand with our people who are currently defending their right peacefully.
Please come, join us to show solidarity!!
We speak to the world for the oppressed and voiceless!!
