Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Start Time: 13:00 – 16:00
Location: Starting point at Humlegården(Karlavägen 32) to Norra Bantorget
A large-scale demonstration is set to take place in central Stockholm on May 1, 2025, as members of the Ethiopian diaspora, Swedish citizens, and human rights organizations unite in protest against the government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The rally, titled “Justice for Ethiopia – Stop the Killings, Free the Voices”, aims to shine a global spotlight on the worsening political and humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.
Protest Demands
The demonstrators have outlined several key demands:
- Immediate end to killings and violence against civilians, particularly in Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray regions.
- Release of political prisoners, including opposition leaders, activists, and journalists.
- Unrestricted access for independent journalists and international human rights organizations.
- Accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the conflicts.
- International pressure on the Ethiopian government, including targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for human rights abuses.
Organizers have emphasized that the demonstration will be peaceful and lawful, with designated marshals ensuring order and safety. Stockholm police confirmed they are working closely with the event leaders to manage the large crowds and ensure minimal disruption to city traffic.
Background
Since coming to power in 2018, Abiy Ahmed initially drew international praise — even winning the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize — for his promises of political reforms and efforts to make peace with neighboring Eritrea. However, his leadership has since been marred by violent internal conflicts, notably the brutal war in the Tigray region from late 2020 to 2022, and ongoing unrest in Oromia and Amhara.
According to multiple human rights reports, including from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and United Nations investigations, Abiy’s government and allied forces have been implicated in war crimes, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, and severe restrictions on press freedom.
In the past year alone, mass arrests of journalists, closures of independent media outlets, and new crackdowns against peaceful political opposition have intensified, sparking renewed international concern.
Documented Abuses and Global Condemnation
Numerous international reports support the claims of systematic violence. A 2024 report by Human Rights Watch accuses Ethiopian federal forces and allied militias of:
- Indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas in Oromia
- Targeted assassinations of local leaders in the Amhara region
- Ethnic profiling and mass arrests
- Media blackouts and internet shutdowns during operations
- The continued imprisonment of opposition leaders, including Bekele Gerba, Eskinder Nega, and dozens of journalists and activists.
In 2022, a United Nations-mandated inquiry concluded that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by multiple actors during the Tigray conflict, including the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF).
Despite international outcry, including from the European Union and U.S. State Department, human rights violations have reportedly intensified, especially in Oromia and Amhara regions in the past year.
I will be there at the demonstration to be a voice for the voiceless Ethiopian people. “For every journalist silenced, every mother mourning a child, and every political prisoner suffering behind bars — I stand with them. We are here to demand justice, not tomorrow, but now.”
