“We can’t take it anymore!”
Semayawi Party in Ethiopia has done it again!
This time it is the young women of Semayawi Party who took to the streets of Addis Ababa during the 5k run held as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations on March 9.They spoke; no, they cried out the unvarnished truth to the abusers of power:
“We can’t take it anymore! We are hungry! We need freedom! We need freedom! Free Eskinder! Free Andualem! Free Abubaker! Free Reeyot! Free political prisoners! We need justice! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Don’t divide us! Ethiopia is One! One Ethiopia! We can’t take it anymore! We are hungry…”
I take my hat off to the young women leaders of Semayawi Party. I am so proud of them. Over the past few months, many people questioned why I rose up and enthusiastically supported Semayawi Party. If anyone has questions why I am the #1 cheerleader for Semayawi Party, let them watch this VIDEO and find out.
I cannot in good conscience stand on the sidelines watching when a ruthless regime is clubbing and bludgeoning Ethiopia’s young daughters and sons like baby seals. I will not watch silently when Ethiopia’s young people are jailed, beaten, tortured and abused simply because they exercised their human right to speak. I will be their voice and tell the world about their persecution and suffering.
They protested peacefully. They suffered peacefully. That is what Semayawi Party is all about, suffering for peaceful and nonviolent change. The Semayawi Party young women leaders and members joined the 5k run just like everybody else. They ran and they marched, peacefully. They broke no law. They did not throw a single rock. They assaulted no one. They did not engage in a single scuffle. Not one person out of the thousands of runners suffered injury as a result of their participation (or for no other reason). Not a single piece of property was damaged. Not a single official was threatened or injured. The Semayawi Party women did not even use a single abusive word. They did it all peacefully, gracefully and with class. Those young women were the quintessential definition of pure class! I am so proud of them that my cup runneth over!
The 5k event was sponsored by the regime’s “Ministry of Women, Children & Youth Affairs” as the climax of the International Women’s Day celebrations. The regime’s theme was “Choice Women First 5km Run” (whatever that means). The regime boasted the event would attract over 10,000 women and girls. When the regime put out the call for women participants, it forgot that the dynamic young women leaders of Semayawi Party would also receive the memo. They did. They showed up in yellow T-shirts, but not to be a propaganda prop for the regime. They were there to run. Run for their freedom. Run for Ethiopian national unity. Run to free political prisoners. Run to call attention to the misery and despair of the people. The young Semayawi women displayed not only courage in the face of a regime known for its barbaric brutality but also used stunning creativity to expose the brutality of the regime.
At the end of the 5k run, seven young Semayawi Party women were arrested, beaten and jailed. Among the victims of human rights abuse include Meron Alemayehu, Mignote Mekonnen, Metasebiya Tekle, Weyni Neguse, Negest Wondyfra, Woynshet Molla, and Emebet Girma. Another three young men who hold top Semayawi Party positions, including Getaneh Balcha (Head of Organizational Affairs), Berhanu Tekleyared (Head of Public Relations) and Abel Ephrem (a member of Public Relations Committee) were also jailed when they went to inquire on the condition of the young women detainees.
