By Staff Reporter
October 12, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- The Addis Ababa Police Commission said “there will not be any meeting or demonstration to be staged at Meskel square,” on Sunday October 13, 2019.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Police Commission said it has not been communicated about Sunday’s demonstration called by the Addis Ababa Baladera Council and they will not allow demonstrations to staged.
In a briefing yesterday, the Council had called for demonstration at Meskel Square to protest ownership claims by Oromo politicians over Addis Ababa and what they called the ongoing “suppression” on members of civic associations and political parties.
The police commission said there will not be any closure of streets in Addis Ababa, as opposed to information circulated by some social media outlets, and “there will not be any obstruction of transportation services”.
Meanwhile, the roads leading to Addis Ababa from Bahir Dar and other places of Amhara regional state have been closed due to what many claimed was “to halt inflow of the council’s fans that are anticipated to be part of the demonstration.”
The roads were closed at towns which fall under the Oromia administration and hundreds of cars were seen stranded and many others were forced to return.
The Oromia police commission on its part said it was conducting rigorous search to prevent security threats on cars passing through the Oromia administration. “The search caused the stranding of passengers as the cars that underwent the searches were heading back to Addis Ababa.”
Head of Dejen Security Administration Kassa Asfaw said the road remains closed and no car is moving. “The Oromia police commission is playing hide and seek,” he added.
Among those passengers who were troubled by the closure of the road include university students. They complained that they might miss registrations in their respective higher learning institutions.
The passengers include patients, people who participated in churches’ annual celebrations and traders.
The Oromia police were quoted as saying that the roads were closed by unidentified youth who did not have recognition from the government.
The people of Amhara and its politicians are overwhelmingly are against some Oromo politicians claim of ownership over Addis Ababa.
The Addis Ababa Baladera Council has been advocating that Addis Ababa belongs to its residents and is the capital city of all nations and nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia.
You can read our earlier story regarding Addis Ababa Baladera Council's call for a demonstration on Sunday October 13, 2019, to protest ownership claim by Oromo politicians over Addis Ababa and the ongoing suppression on members of civic associations and political parties.
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