Report on Great London March
By
Wondimu Mekonnen
Ethiopians started arriving
at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead and Luton Airports as well as
various metropolitan train stations throughout London on Saturday
8th December 2005. The majority booked their accommodations
online and managed their way without interventions of Londoners.
Ethiopians pulling luggage were spotted everywhere throughout
the city. London resident Ethiopians hosted the few who could
not manage to accommodate themselves. The Saturday atmosphere
of the city of London felt like Addis on the eve of big festival.
Ethiopians flocked to London from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, The
Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and even
as far as from Australia to participate on the Great London
March.
On
Sunday, 09 December 2005, the organisers started moving the
logistics on time. By 2:00 pm, the build up for the demonstration
at the Marble Arch was beginning to build. People were busy
greeting eachother, meeting for the first time in many years.
The try colour Ethiopian flags, flags of various countries of
Europe and slogans, adored the Square. After the stewards were
briefed how to manage the march, the crowed was invited to attend
speech made by Cmdr Assefa Seifu, one of the centrals organisers
of the rally. Cmdr Assefa thanked the guests for coming from
various cities of Europe and welcomed the rally goers and drew
the gruesome pictures of the current affairs of the country
and worrying health condition of the detained leaders on a hunger
strike. Ato Getachew Wanna, a CUD delegate from Sweden made
a moving speech representing Ethiopian delegates from the other
cities of Europe.
Ato Andargachew Tsigie of CUD made another interesting
speech with reference to gross violation of human rights by
the dictatorial regime of Ethiopia. He explained how the EPRDF
regime of ethnocrats turned the country into a big prison camp,
stripping every citizen of their basic rights. One can draw
a conclusion from of those speeches that the murder, the arrest
and the deliberate shaving of heads of the detainees by shared
blades to infect hundreds of thousands of prisoners by HIV/AIDS
virus can only be measured to the Nazi holocaust of the Jewish
community in Germany in the 1940s. 43,000 detainees are accounted
to be held at Dedessa, 30,000 at Bir Sheleqo, unknown number
are held at secret underground prisons around the country. Deliberate
spread of AIDS virus tantamount genocide.
A
brother from Sweden, Daniel Abebe, read a moving Amaric poem
called “Tsehay Tiwettalech” – The Sun Will
Rise – kicked the emotions of the demonstrators into motion.
Another brother from Sweden, well-known music intellectual and
poet in his own right, Zenebe Bekele, rehearsed with the crowed
the famous “Ethiopia Hagere” song. With this, the
stewards were asked to line up the marchers into 4 columns.
It was almost impossible to do that at first simply due to the
large crowed. From experience the only way the four columns
to work out was believed to be achieved when the marchers started
moving from the open space to the main road along the Park Lane.
The Police agreed with the stewards and their leaders leaving
the organisation to them. The road was fully blocked until the
marchers left the Marble Arch, from both directions. After 20
minutes of commotions, the crowed fully left the Marble Arch
and stream lined along the road by the Length of the Hyde Park
down towards the Green Park.
Ethiopian Yemitishu
Inat hager Yemeitishu
Tewagulat Atishishu!
Tagelulat atishishu
- was the new song imported from Sweden for
the day. Closely translated it meant:
Those who openly declare and say
You love Ethiopia, the motherland
Fight for her survival, don’t run away
Struggle for that nation, don’t run away.
Don’t run away!
Don’t run away!
Many joined the Swedish Ethiopians in the song
and at one point the stwards nearly forgot their duty and were
pulled towards this group. Then moving forward to another group
of Ethiopians from London, it was magnetic to break free from
them as they were shacking the earth under their feet with a
patriotic song they prepared without the knowledge of the organisers.
One elderly man said: “This group looked like ‘sergegna’”
– the traditional youth wedding singers. Indeed, the movements,
the energy, the lyrics were out of this world. One would love
to join them. The demonstrators took their own initiatives and
prepared themselves for it. The hundreds of thousands of onlookers
by the sides of Piccadilly Road pored out of the Hardrock Café,
all shops and bars to witness the shouting; singing and earth
tapping Ethiopians with the thousands of deafening whistle blowing
chants.
The demonstrators were signing the new version
of:
Tekebresh yenorshiw – babatochachin dem
babatochachin dem!
Inat Ethiopia – yedeferesh yiwdem
Closely translated:
You survived intact with your honour
Through the sacrifices of our ancestors blood
Mother Ethiopia dear
Let them go to hell, your tormentors!
With totally new poetic lyrics and vibrant approach,
the youth in London totally rocked the place with such patriotic
songs and others.
At one point a crowed poured out of the biggest
bar along the road and unconsciously tried to copy the moves,
probably thinking that was a carnival. Although they were looking
at the slogans and trying to make out what was happening in
Ethiopia, still the group of Ethiopians saying – yileyal
yileyal zendiro – yewoyyane nuro (translated as ‘the
Woyyane’s criminal life will soon be sorted out), made
the onlookers move their bodies to align with the demonstrators.
Somehow, the head of the crowed finally reached Piccadilly Circus
after about 45 minutes of walk from the Marble Arch. The crowed
of onlookers at the Piccadilly Circus was hard to describe.
It looked like Londoners poured out on the street to watch a
big national event like the Nothing Hill carnival. At this junction
the road was completely closed and the traffic froze until the
thousands of slogan changing, singing and whistle blowing Ethiopians
left the Circus.
It became extremely difficult to meet up and
exchange ideas of crowed management for the organisers. Thanks
to the modern technology, however, the only valuable means of
communication was the mobile phones. While the marchers were
leaving the Piccadilly Circus towards the Trafalgar Square,
the mobile of this reporter vibrated – as it was impossible
to hear the ringing. One of the organisers informed that Mr
Steve Sinnot, the General Secretary of NUT was at the head of
the march. There were English colleagues, among the crowed but
the knowledge of the presence of Steve among the crowed was
an uplifting event. Once they knew our friend was with us, every
photographer and video recorder ran to pictures of the hero
of Ethiopians.
Coming to the Trafalgar Square, still the road
completely blocked, the Police briefly halted the rally. Many
thought, the Police might not allow such a huge reach its final
destination, the most sensitive area, the White Hall. A Police
Officer kindly explained that the stoppage was for safety purpose;
a barrier was being placed ahead.
There was one thing that the organisers withheld
from the crowed until the last minutes of starting the march.
Due to terrorist threat, the Police did not allow any rally
end at the Downing Street. As a result, Cmdr Assefa Seifu negotiated
for another vigil to be held on the same day at the Downing
Street, to hand over the petition letter. Therefore, the plan
was for the march to end at the White Hall and then the crowed
would disperse in all directions and everyone would make his/her
way back to the Downing Street and stage a big vigil in front
of the residence of Prime Minster Tony Blair. The Police must
have co-ordinated their crowed management techniques and realised
that when the head would reach the White Hall the tail could
still be at the Trafalar Square leaving a huge chunk at the
Downing street which could easily move to the vigil spot without
going into the small space at the White Hall. Therefore, the
Police quickly realised and abandoned the original plan. Rather
than leading the crowed straight to the White Hall, they surprised
the organisers by leading them straight to the Downing Street
vigil spot. What a relief! It would have been so difficult to
lead the guests from Europe to find their way back to the Downing
Street. The halt of the marchers between the Trafalgar Square
and Piccadilly Circus was to buy time to put the barriers for
the vigil in place.
Once the crowed started moving another huge
crowed of onlookers gathered at the Trafalgar Square and watched
the rallying of colourful Ethiopians with amusement. Photographers
and video tapers were everywhere.
Once
the whole crowed reached the Downing Street, it was already
getting late and therefore, the Police asked the organisers
to file their petition letter at the Downing Street. Ato Sileshi
Tilahun of CUD, Ato Taye Bogale of UEDF, Weizero Gebyanesh Abera
and this reporter representing civic movements were given the
privilege of going into the inner side of the Downing Street
lead by a very caring and sympathetic pleasant lady Police Officer,
flanked from both sides by eight scary well armed group of commando
soldiers dressed in dark battle fatigue.
The delegates were stopped at the gate until
the inner security force gave the go ahead signal. At this spot
a very well dressed couple politely approached a Police Officer
and asked what the hell was going on. The explanation of the
Police officer was stunning. Even a concerned and well-prepared
Ethiopian could not have put situation in Ethiopia in such beautiful
words. He took his time and closely said to the lady and gentleman:
“An awful event has been taking place
in Ethiopia, since June, Madam. The Ethiopian Government has
been killing, children, women and innocent citizens at will.
Bloodbath is tainting the streets of their towns and villages.
And the most appalling thing is, our government is doing nothing
about this gross violation of human rights. Actually, the regime
of that country happened to be an ally of our government. This
huge crowed is here from all over the cities of Europe to file
their petition of disappointment with our government and appealing
to stop the murder, mass arrest of the citizens and illegal
detention of the opposition leaders, Ma Lady”
The lady and gentleman thanked the officer and
made their way nearer to the crowed to read the slogans. Just
before being lead in, the reporter took a chance to thank the
officer and asked where he got all his knowledge about the atrocities
in Ethiopia. His answer was on the target with a military precision.
“You have been here weeks in and weeks
out, Sir! You are one of the most peaceful demonstrators I have
ever come across regardless of what is being done to your people
back at your homeland. I am not stupid. If there wasn’t
an awful event taking place there, you wouldn’t be here,
would you?”
Once we were inside the Downing Street, we found
the atmosphere completely different from the other days. It
looks like Ethiopians have been calling the Downing Street from
all over the world and jammed their telephone lines, web sites
and e-mails. As a result, rather than rushing through, the delegates
were politely lead through the security checks to No. 10 Downing
Street, the residence of the Prime Minister. They were allowed
to take pictures before knocking at the door. Once the officer
knocked at the door the Personal Assistant of the Prime Minister
opened the door, came out, shook hands with the delegates, received
the letter and promised to pass it to the Prime Minster himself
and posed with the delegates for a photo opportunity.
Upon return, Ethiopians continued their demand
that Tony Blair disassociated himself from Prime Murderer Meles
Zenawi. The slogans included:
Stop the barbaric killings now
Justice for the murdered!
Meles has to go now!
Stop the crime against humanity!
UK, do not support the tyrant!
Release all political prisoners!
Democracy! Yes-yes-yes! Dictatorship! No-no-no!
What do we want? Justice! Democracy! Peace! Unity!
When do want it? Now!!!
No democracy, no economic aid
Borrowing journalist Abebe Gelaw’s words,
the Great London March was completed with the demand to “Mr.
Blair to press for the unconditional release of all prisoners
of conscience including opposition leaders, journalists, human
rights campaigners and over 50,000 fellow citizens who have
been illegally detained in harsh concentration camps across
Ethiopia.”
The
struggle for freedom and democracy of Ethiopians shall triumph!
