Civil disobedience against Meles dictatorship has started today

March 20, 2006, (ADDIS ABEBA) — Today, Tegbar League Committees in Ethiopia have launched a peaceful civil disobedience campaign against the Meles dictatorship. The primary purpose of this nonviolent action is to pressure the government to respect the people’s vote and to demand the release of all political prisoners.

In the coming days, Tegbar coordinators in Ethiopia will organize nonviolent actions such as blocking major roads, work slow down, boycott of schools, and boycott of products that are produced or sold by EPRDF-affiliated companies. These nonviolent actions are intended to systematically make the country ungovernable and choke the Meles regime by drying up its sources of revenue. There will be no public demonstration and direct confrontation with the blood thirsty Federal Police and Meles Zenawi’s death squad.

Tegbar will make a persistent effort to forge alliances with all pro-democracy groups in this nonviolent civil disobedience movement.

Since we are facing a fascist regime, we will take extra care not to expose our activists to danger. It is a bitter struggle for freedom against a regime that doesn’t hesitate to gun down 10 year-olds. But in the end, the aspiration of the people of Ethiopia for freedom and democracy will be realized.