Arena organized demonstration in Mekelle

Tigrai Online, Nov. 4, 2017

Members of Arena are demonstrating in downtown Mekelle while people are going about their business.

Arena Tigray For Democracy and Sovereignty – ARENA called for demonstration on Saturday Nov. 4, 201 in the capital city of Tigrai in northern Ethiopia. The city of Mekelle administration didn’t approve the demonstration, but that didn’t stop the opposition party based in Tigrai from going ahead defying the city administration.

Arena is legally registered opposition party based in Tigrai state the party is part of an Ethiopian national opposition party, Medrek.

The demonstration in Mekelle was suppose to show support to the people who are being displaced and losing their lives in Oromia state. Many innocent people have lost their lives, their businesses destroyed, and a significant numbers are leaving the state of Oromia due to the crudity their experiencing from armed hooligans and the state security forces are doing absolutely nothing to stop it.

Arena claimed the demonstration was to denounce the violence against civilians especially those who are targeted because of their ethnic group (Tigrai and Amhara).

The question is why Arena didn’t do anything when over eleven thousand innocent Tigraians were deported from Amhara state; many lost their lives, their businesses and lively hood? Why the double standard or the severity of what happen in Oromia (one or three Tigraians killed) makes it worst than what happened in Amhara state? The other question is if this was really about what is taking place to Tegaru in Oromia wouldn’t it be better to coordinate it with state government, the city administration, and other civic organizations?

To those who are campaigning against the people of Tigrai, mark our words, the miniscule ARENA does not represent even a tiny fraction of the seven million people of Tigrai state. Arena is symbolizing the fact that when you hurt one of us you hurt all of us no matter our party affiliation. If the people of Tigrai want to go out and demonstrate it will defiantly not be like this. Our people are patient, disciplined, deliberate and ingenious when they decide to go out and make their voices heard, it will be from tip to tip of the state and it will be earth shattering. For now the people of Tigrai are waiting for the government to do its job and save the nation.