Police and army members of the interim government in Tigray, which was installed by the federal government of Ethiopia six months ago, brutally halted a peaceful demonstration this morning at Mekelle’s Romanat Square. This regime, led by the remnants of a 48-year-old communist group, has dispatched several police members and two army brigades to all corners of the city to prevent the peaceful demonstration. These police and army members were witnessed brutally beating incoming demonstrators.
Teklit Gebremeskel, a legal expert, witnessed that the demonstrators were peacefully converging toward the square. Police were stationed at every corner and began using force after not more than five minutes of demonstration as more people continued to join.
It has been observed that the police and army forces beat and tortured demobilized army members and civilians simply because they came out to make their voices heard about the current challenges facing Tigreans.
Many have been forcibly detained and arrested.
Tedros Gebreabzgi Belay, a recently demobilized individual, Teshager Tsigab, a journalist at Yabele Media, and a lecturer at Axum University, Zemen Gebremedhin, a writer and author, Mehari Kahsay and Mehari Selomon, journalists, and many others are among those brutally beaten by the police of the ruling group, which has shown no interest in ensuring the security of the people of Tigray. The journalists, including Teshager Tsigab and other activists, were going there to observe and report on the event.
Video-1: shows police team brutally beating Tedros Belay
Video 2: shows police brutality on journalist Teshager Tsigab of Yabele Media
Picture: journalist Teshager Tsigab’s body tortured by police.
Picture : Teshager and his friend Mengesha Girmay soaked in blood after being beaten by the police.
Several leaders of opposition parties, journalists, and civilians have been arrested, including the following individuals from the Salsay Weyane Tigray party:
- Hayalu Godefay, Chairperson
- Ablelom Meles, Training Head of the Party
- Haileab Hailesilassie, PR Head
- Getnet Gebre-ezgiabiher, Executive Member
- Kahsay Hailu, Finance Head
- Fikir Ashebir, Executive Member
- Nigus Arefe, Party Affairs Head
- Shewit Widassie, Member
- Teame Birhanu, Member
- Birhane Araya, Member
- Gebreab Woldu, Member
- Gebreabzgi Woldesilassie, Member
- Asefa Berhe, Member – His whereabouts are unknown.
From the Tigray Independence Party:
- Dejen Mezgebe (Dr), Chairperson
- Haftom Kidane Mariam
- Atsibha Tekle
- Teame Hagos
- Ashenafi Weldemariam
From the National Congress for Great Tigray- Baitona party:
- Kibrom Berhe
- Kidane Amene
- Yohanes Gebru
- Tesfamichael Nigus
- Birhane Zemen
From Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty Party
- Andom Gebresillasie, its recently elected chairperson
List of so far named journalists, activists, and civilian participants who have been arrested:
Journalists and Activists:
- Teshager Tsigab (Zemas)
- Mahari Kahsay
- Mehari Solomon
- Tsegay Gebremedhin (activist)
Other Civilian Participants:
- Kewani Tesfay
- Girmay Gebremedhin
- Birtukan Mebrahtu
- Three drivers and their two assistants
In total, so far these 38 people, along with many more whose names remain unknown, have been arrested and taken to undisclosed locations. Most of them were part of the group that gathered at Remant Square for a peaceful demonstration, demanding the Amhara and Eritrean invaders to vacate Tigray’s territories, advocating for displaced people to return to their homes, urging the interim government to halt robbery and embezzlement, ensure transparency and good governance, separate party and government, establish an inclusive government, put an end to women’s rape, provide food aid for those in need, and secure the safety and security of the people of Tigray. Others were there to report about the event.
The demonstration was organized by three major nationalist opposition parties in Tigray: the Salsay Weyane Tigray (SaWeT), Tigray Independent Party (TIP), and National Congress for Great Tigray – Baitona. The Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty Party later joined as well, while the Asimba party excluded itself at the eleventh hour after initially expressing an intention to join the peaceful demonstration. Their united call was for ‘radical change.