Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo, have staged nationwide rallies today to protest their continued marginalisation and persecution by the government. These are a culmination of ongoing protests by the Oromo people since November 2015 and mark by far the most significant political development in the country since the death of the country’s long-time authoritarian leader, Meles Zenawi, in 2012.
At least hundreds of thousands of protestors reportedly took to the streets in more than 200

towns and cities across Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest regional state, to demonstrate against widespread and systematic persecution. According to local media reports, over 50 individuals have been killed and thousands arrested as police and security forces opened fire on peaceful protestors. These details are likely to change as more information comes in, though the government has severely restricted the Internet and social media making communication difficult.

#OromoProtests: thousands attended the rally in Holota
#Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/YQI7GaDhxx
— Ethiopian Press (@abenezer_a) August 6, 2016

#OromoProtests: unarmed peaceful Protesters @mesqal square, Addis Ababa met with police brutality #Ethiopia
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http://africanarguments.org/2016/08/06/ethiopias-unprecedented-nationwide-oromo-protests-who-what-why/

Since the protests have begun, the government has arrested and jailed many of its vital and outspoken activists and organisers. A recent report by the Human Rights Watch puts the death toll from the first seven months of the protest at over 400 while the figure tallied by activists is significantly higher.

Protesters remain defiant despite facing military force that has been killing them with impunity.#OromoProtests
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— 125 (@Mpengwe) August 6, 2016


2 #Ethiopia soldiers killed in clash with #OLF rebels #kenya border #Moyale 3 civilians injured #oromoprotests
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— Yassin Juma (@Yassinjuma)
July 28, 2016

Moyale in Kenya?

I think there is a blackout of the protests by African media. I just saw the news on AJstream for the first time.