Solo Demonstration in Megenagna Sparks Social Media Discussion Amid Tensions Over Capital’s Status
Borkena Desk
(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.
On the placard, he wrote that “Abiy Ahmed should immediately quit and face justice.” He also wrote that “Abiy Ahmed has committed crimes against humanity and war crimes, hence he must stand on trial. ” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s legitimacy has faced a crisis for several years for political, economic, and security reasons, among others.
The lone protester’s action has become a talking point among Ethiopians on social media, where users hail him as a “brave” man. The incident happened at a time when residents in Addis Ababa and opposition parties—including those working with the ruling party, such as the National Movement of Amhara and the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice Party (EZEMA)—accuse the government of manipulating the National Dialogue to make Addis Ababa a city under the Oromia region.
The current Ethiopian constitution allows peaceful protest. However, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration banned demonstrations in the city on grounds of security concerns. Peaceful demonstrations and rallies supporting the government are allowed under tense security arrangements, apparently to ensure they do not turn into anti-government protests. Authorities also sometimes allow opposition groups working with the government to organize protests. Recently, Addis Ababa-based ethnic Tigray politicians received permission to organize a demonstration at Meskel Square against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) administration in Tigray, which the government considers illegal.
Opposition parties like the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and the Enat Party, among others, have been denied permission to organize peaceful protests over the past few years.
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