Urgent Call for a Protest Rally Against the TPLF /EPRDF Tyrannical Regime in Ethiopia at the United Nations Headquarters in New York

January 11, 2016 North America

Call to All Oromo Communities, Oromos and Friends living in North America:
As different mass media outlets are streaming, the Oromo People in general, and students at different levels (Elementary, High School, University) in particular, are currently protesting against the implementation of the plan to expand the city of Addis Ababa into the neighboring Oromo farmers’ land, which not only displaces millions of farmers from their ancestral land but also causes loss of Oromo Culture, History and Identity. The response by the dictatorial minority government of the TPLF is shooting to kill, beating, imprisoning and torturing of the peaceful protestors. In 2014; More than 70 students were gunned down for peacefully demanding to stop the implementation of the land grab expansion plan. Despite the firm opposition to this plan from all Oromos, internal and external, and many losses of life and causalities, the government moves ahead with its proposed plan.

During the last two months, Oromo students again came out to express their opposition peacefully to the Addis Ababa master plan and the land grab policy of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) regime. However, again more than 140 students, teachers and farmers were already killed; Thousands beaten and wounded; And thousands are rounded up and thrown into jail. Given the history of brutality of the current regime in Ethiopia, those in jail are feared to be tortured or even secretly murdered in their prison cells and others disappeared. In General, a war of genocide is being waged by the TPLF government against the Oromo and other peoples.
To protest against the massacres of Oromo and other civilians by the TPLF led minority regime in Ethiopia, the Oromo Communities’ Association in North America (OCA­NA), the Oromo Community of New York and Oromo Community Organization (OCO of Washington DC and metropolitan area are planning to hold a rally in front of the United Nation (UN) headquarters on Friday, January 15, 2016, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM., The address of the rally is at Dag hammarskjold plaza, E 47^th Street, New York NY 10017.
The purpose of this rally is to strongly protest against the ongoing widespread illegal grabbing of Oromo lands under the guise of development, eviction of farmers, violation of human rights, extrajudicial killings of Oromos and other peoples in general, and Oromo students in particular, by the TPLF minority regime in Ethiopia. It is also to alert the world about the systematic and heinous crimes perpetrated against the entire Oromo nation, and request the United Nation (UN) to exert utmost pressure to:

• Stop the Genocidal war being waged by the TPLF government against the Oromo people;
• Stop the arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, tortures and killings of Oromo students and other civilians;
• Establish a commission of inquiry to investigate the current violent crackdown and extrajudicial killings;
• Respect the rule of law and bring those who committed extrajudicial killings to ICC (International Criminal Court);
• Reverse the implementation of the Addis Ababa Master Plan and end the eviction of farmers from their lands;
• Respect the demand of the Oromo people for peace and justice; and
• Release all Oromo political prisoners without any preconditions.

We call upon all Oromo nationals and friends living in North America to participate in this peaceful demonstration and stand with our people who are currently defending their rights peacefully and dying daily.
Please come, join us and show solidarity!!
 We speak to the world for the oppressed and voiceless!! 
Best regards,
The Organizing Committee