Ethiopia: Huge protest demo in front of US State Department

8 November 2005 -Thousands of demonstrators from Ethiopia staged a noisy but peaceful demonstration in front of the US State Department, demanding that Washington step up its efforts to end post-election violence in the African state.

Chanting "USA, shame on you" and brandishing placards with slogans such as "Where Do You Stand?" the crowd called for pressure on Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to halt bloodshed that has claimed dozens of lives.

Photos of bloodied victims dotted the crowd in the latest of a series of protests mounted by members of the Ethiopian community who have also staged a vigil at the White House. No unruly incidents were reported.

"There have been a number of massacres in the country, and nothing has been done about it," said Gashu Habte, a Washington-based economist and one of the organizers of the rally.

About 100 members of San Francisco's Ethiopian community staged a similar protest when Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, visited a school there on Monday.

The protesters made a similar demand that Britain condemn events in Ethiopia.

Habte said the United States and Britain, which he called the two main patrons of Meles's government, had failed to forcefully follow up European Union warnings since bitterly disputed parliamentary elections in May.

"We want the US government to increase the intensity of help in Ethiopia," he told AFP, adding that Tuesday's protest brought together Ethiopians from along the US East Coast.

Meselech Tamerat, a mother of two living in Washington, addressed the gathering and urged US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to rethink US policies toward the Meles government.

"It is a double standard to speak of democracy in Iraq and support Zenawi," she said. "It is a double standard to support democracy everywhere and support democracy in Africa nowhere."

The violence in Ethiopia was sparked by the May elections, which the opposition claims were fraudulently won by Meles's ruling party.

Police opened fire on crowds in the capital in June, killing at least 37 people and heralding a massive crackdown on the opposition. Fresh violence erupted last Tuesday, leaving at least 46 people dead.

The European Union and the United States issued a joint statement in Addis Ababa on Sunday, calling on the Ethiopian government to rein in its forces.

"We urge the government ... to immediately end the use of lethal force, random searches and indiscriminate beatings and massive arrests," the statement said.

Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs and the number three official at the State Department, called Meles on Friday to express US concern over the latest bloodshed, officials said.

Burns renewed Washington's call for Addis Ababa to create an independent commission to probe the demonstrations and to free all political prisoners, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

ED/AFP/ER

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