PRESS RELEASE: Furious Oromo locals curate a creative Covid Safe Campaign in solidarity with #StarvingFor Justice movement

A creative COVID safe Campaign is being curated by 20 Melbournians undertaking a hunger strike for 48 hours (Wednesday24/Thursday 25 February, 2021). Australian Oromo communities have rallied to support a campaign against 2019 Nobel Prize recipient, PM Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia for imprisoning Oromo opposition leaders in Ethiopia.

Locals are angered that Ethiopia’s most prominent political commentator, Jawar Mohammed (pictured centre), who featured in sold out Australian tours is in danger of dying; he is currently on hunger strike in a notorious Qalitti prison in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa after surviving attempted assassination and being blocked from participating in the national elections of Ethiopia in 2021.

Mohammed and fellow government opposition leaders, Bekele Gerba and Hamza Borena (pictured) are also imprisoned, despite supporters in Ethiopia numbering 50 million. Their fate remains dire and concerned Melbournians are angered by the Ethoipian ruling party’s lack-lustre response to grave human rights abuses. Blatant abuses include security forces that defied Ethiopian court orders to grant opposition leaders access to healthcare services in civilian hospitals. Military vehicles barricaded the hospital gate; leaders refused to be treated there for fears of being poisoned to death.

On Wednesday 24th February, local Melbourne Oromos will undertake creative covid safe (“#StarvingForJustice”) campaign, which will comprise dressing in yellow to support the striking prisoners, hiring mobile trucks to rally around the Melbourne city, conducting a 48 hour hunger strike sit in at parliament house in Victoria and allowing multiple small but passionate groups to collectively voice their anger, frustration and concern in a responsible and creative way: They seek to attention the Ethiopian government responsible for its gross human rights violations and degradation of human dignity.

Media enquiries are encouraged and welcomed.

Media Contacts:

Name: Toltu TufaCompany: Australian Oromo CommunityEmail: Phone: 61401958237

About Australian Oromo Community

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An organisation democracy, human rights and self determination. Melbourne based members form a significant cohort of membership. Oromo protests is designed to amplify the voices of local and international oromo people to attention the plight of more than 50 million people living in Ethiopia, many of whom have resettled into Australia.