Ethiopian Man Arrested After Solo Protest Against PM Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa
An unidentified man was arrested in Addis Ababa after staging a solo protest against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The protester, who accused the government of war crimes, was detained despite the constitutional right to peaceful protest, highlighting ongoing political tensions.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the shrinking space for political dissent and the controversial nature of the current administration's security policies.
(TORONTO, Canada) — Police in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, arrested a man on Saturday who staged a solo peaceful protest against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
He stood in the Megenagna locality, one of the busiest spots in the city, holding a placard protesting Abiy Ahmed. A picture circulating on social media purportedly shows two policemen arresting the man. He did not resist arrest.
The identity of the person remains undisclosed at the time of this writing. Addis Ababa police did not release a statement explaining the incident.
The protester leaned against a pedestrian sidewalk railing with his placards when police arrested him around 10:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to sources from Addis Ababa who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
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