Awassa students clash with savage police

EthioMedia

March 16, 2006

AWASSA, Central Ethiopia - Schools were closed here in Awassa on Thursday after high school students clashed with members of the Federal Police. Eye-witnesses said several young students were injured by the brutal beatings of the Federal Police - a force first established by Meles Zenawi to reinforce law and order but in reality used to serve the dictator to crush the Ethiopian people's peaceful drive for the rule of law and the reign of democracy in the country.

Witnesses said the police surrounded many schools even after many students were taken to detention centers. In the last two days, leaflets distributed in the city called on students and the general public to intensify the peaceful struggle against the tyrannical and illegitimate government in power.

In another development, the Gugi Oromo and the Borana Oromos were reportedly fighting heavily against each other. Sources said that the clash between the two tribes was aggravated by the Meles Zenawi ethnic policy. The clash between the two Oromo groups was confined to the countryside. Now it is spilling over to the urban areas as well," one source said. (EthioMedia)

Students clash with Federal Police

DESSIE (March 10) - Students at Memhir Akale-Wold and Hottie comprehensive high schools continued their protests for the fourth day on Thursday, and demanded official explanations why students were the tagets of savage police beatings which left many injured.

According to the Voice of America (VOA) Amharic Program, eye-witnesses said shots were fired when members of the notorious Federal Police on Thursday stormed Hottie Comprehensive High School. Ambulances were seen taking the wounded away from school premises.

The students' key question is that they need to be administered by the elected representatives of the people. It is to be recalled the elected officials of the opposition Kinijit party, journalists, and human rights workers were jailed in a nationwide crackdown in November 2005 on fabricated charges of "treason and genocide."

VOA said a police officer who declined to be indenitified by name denied that there was a student unrest in the city at all. Most often than not, government officials do not respond to media inquiries for fear of stepping out of government line.

Similiarly in Addis Ababa, students of Keftegna 12 Secondary school were beaten by Federal Police during student protests asking for the release of political prisoners. Police were seen beating students with whatever was available in hand, including with the but of their guns. Many students were gun-butted in their faces. Eye-witnesses described police beatings as "brutish and savage."

Meantime, it came to public knowledge that the savage police were using an old tactic to detain students. Non-students wearing school uniform were being sent to join student protests from where they report back to office details of the protests, list of active student leaders. The informants have mobile phones which they use to report outbreak of student protests immediately. (EthioMedia)