“TPLF cadre’s disgraceful visit to Toronto”


Rumors were circulating in this big city of Toronto that a high level TPLF’S (Tigray People Libration Front) delegation is shortly paying a scandalous visit. Our city has in recent past seen woyane cadres secretly meeting one ethnic group and disregarding others as part of their sinister ethno centric policy of divide and rule. It was part of their North American mission to reach out their supporters and appeal to them to play the role of actively discrediting the Diasporas opposition. Patriotic Ethiopians spared no time to organize and expose those woyane agents. A protest rally was organized by the office of Unity for Human Rights and Democracy, Ginbot 7 movement for justice democracy and Unity, with cultural groups including Ethiopians of Oromo and Ogaden origins. As is always the case everywhere, those woyane agents have planned to meet selected few individuals who are considered loyal supporters. Official invitation cards were distributed to those individuals who are beneficiaries of the corrupt system through privileged investor status or promises for land grab.
After securing license to stage a protest rally from City police, patriotic Ethiopians converged at down town Marriott where meeting was scheduled to take place. Placards were displayed to the public exposing Meles Zenawi’s human rights record. Protestors continued to echo slogans denouncing Meles's dictatorial regime. Demonstrators wearing Birtukan's T shirts expressed their determination to carry over the struggle until Birtukan and all political prisoners are set free. The privileged few current and potential investors under their opportunistic stances started arriving at Marriott and they were greeted with applauses of shame. As common greed is what has affiliated them to the system, they didn’t have the slightest courage to face patriotic Ethiopians and had to cover their faces to hide their identity and run away.
It was past 3 pm that a limo just drove by the crowd of protesters and we knew that they were those woyane agents. The protesters greeted them with the Ethiopian flag, placards and slogans with loud and clear messages that they are not welcome here. As they clearly know how determined the protesters are to voice the plight of our people in Ethiopia, they didn’t even have the gut to raise their heads up and face us. With very limited attendance of opportunist individuals, the woyane cadres had to dwell much of their discussion on the “democratic process” of the forthcoming election. However, most of the invited people in attendance didn’t show any interest in the political process and instead they voiced their frustration about it. They said they were invited to discuss investment potentials and would rather prefer the discussion focuses on areas they would participate as investors. The whole sessions appeared coordinated enough those woyane cadres deliberately continued to preach more and more on achievements of the regime and left no time for participants pose questions Most participants have clearly expressed their anger that what they expected at the meeting was not those low level cadres. They wanted to meet the likes of Abay Tsehaye and Seyoum Mesfin whom they expected they will have the opportunity to wine and dine with.
The protest rally has brought together many human rights groups actively engaged in and around the great city of Toronto. Those Ethiopian groups including representatives of Unity for Human Rights and democracy, Ginbot 7, Oromo and Ogaden communities are determined to continue their struggle for the realization of our dreams of unity, equality and democracy. They take this opportunity to invite other organizations to join the group to collectively take charge of coordinating one big protest rally against Meles Zenawi’s attendance of the G-2O meeting this June in Toronto.
Toronto April 27, 2010