guardian)--Protesters are being kept well away from the G8 meeting. A few miles down the road from Camp David, scores of Ethiopian Americans from Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and New York gathered in the small town of Thurmont to protest the presence of prime minister Meles Zenawi at the summit, writes Ryan Devereaux.
Demonstrators
condemned Zenawi as an illegitimately elected leader who oversees grave
human rights abuses, including the killing of his own people and the
suppression of journalists, with the support of the US government. "He
destroy Ethiopia," said Shimeless Legese, who made the trip from
Virgina.
Dinberu Melakehiwot felt the rally was an important opportunity to educate Americans on how the US relates to Zenawi's regime. "They're giving him a blank check in the name of development and he's using that money and the material support to kill his own people, our cousins," he said. "It's personal."
The protesters were met by dozen of officers from the local police and sheriff's departments, as well as state police. The officers wore full riot gear complete with helmets and face shields. They carried an assortment of clubs, shields, tear gas launchers and shotguns – although the equipment remained unused.
Lifelong Thurmont resident, Donna Wiltrout, was shocked to see the demonstration in her community. "I would never expect this to happen in Thurmont, our little town," she said.
Wiltrout said she supported the demonstrators' freedom of speech rights and appreciated the police presence. "I think it's a good thing in case something really breaks out," she said. "They there to make us safe."
While most residents were tolerant of the demonstration, others were racists and made it clear. A man with a confederate flag tattooed to his side used a deeply offensive racial epithet and said the protesters "need to go home". Read more from guardian »
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Video: Exclusive interview on Ethiopian PM
Activists to Obama: Reassess Ethiopia Partnership
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Demonstrators
condemned Zenawi as an illegitimately elected leader who oversees grave
human rights abuses, including the killing of his own people and the
suppression of journalists, with the support of the US government. "He
destroy Ethiopia," said Shimeless Legese, who made the trip from
Virgina.Dinberu Melakehiwot felt the rally was an important opportunity to educate Americans on how the US relates to Zenawi's regime. "They're giving him a blank check in the name of development and he's using that money and the material support to kill his own people, our cousins," he said. "It's personal."
The protesters were met by dozen of officers from the local police and sheriff's departments, as well as state police. The officers wore full riot gear complete with helmets and face shields. They carried an assortment of clubs, shields, tear gas launchers and shotguns – although the equipment remained unused.
Lifelong Thurmont resident, Donna Wiltrout, was shocked to see the demonstration in her community. "I would never expect this to happen in Thurmont, our little town," she said.
Wiltrout said she supported the demonstrators' freedom of speech rights and appreciated the police presence. "I think it's a good thing in case something really breaks out," she said. "They there to make us safe."
While most residents were tolerant of the demonstration, others were racists and made it clear. A man with a confederate flag tattooed to his side used a deeply offensive racial epithet and said the protesters "need to go home". Read more from guardian »
Related topics:
World Economic Forum on Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Video: Exclusive interview on Ethiopian PM
Activists to Obama: Reassess Ethiopia Partnership
Obama Urged to Reassess Ethiopian Relations Over Land Evictions
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