#OromoProtests Press statement from Feyisa Lilesa
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What: A press conference with Oromo marathoner Feyisa Lilesa.
When: Tuesday September 13, 2016 at 1 PM EST
Where: TBD, accessible to Capitol Hill. Please email inquires to feyisapress@gmail.com
Feyisa Lilesa made international headlines on August 21, 2016 for protesting against the killings of Oromo protesters and human rights violations in Ethiopia by crossing his wrists overhead as he approached the finish line to win silver in the men’s marathon event.
The Oromo are Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, comprising nearly half of the country’s population. The Oromo youth have been protesting against economic and political marginalization from the central government in Addis Ababa for nearly a year now.
After two and a half weeks in Brazil, Feyisa has secured a visa to the United States. He will be in Washington, DC area the week of September 12 – 14. He has scheduled a press conference to address reporters on Tuesday, September 13.
He will provide an update on his status and hopes to also continue to raise awareness about the protests in Ethiopia, where more than 500 peaceful protesters have been killed since November in Feyisa’s home state of Oromia, the largest of Ethiopia’s nine linguistic based states. His gesture of protest at the Rio Olympics was intended to
bring attention to this story which has received very little coverage. He is available for one-on-one interviews. Please direct your requests to feyisapress@gmail.com or 612-978-0851.
“I am deeply touched by the overwhelming international response to my gesture and grateful for the attention that it brought to the protests in Oromia and elsewhere in Ethiopia,” Feyisa said on Thursday as he prepared for a press conference in the United States. “I want to thank the Brazilian people and the Brazilian government for their warm hospitality and their concern for my well-being. I want to also send my gratitude to the Consular staff at the US Embassy in Rio for their help in facilitating my trip to the United States. I look forward to competing in upcoming races in the United States.” Via Hassan Ismail