THURMONT, Md. (AP),
May 19, 2012 - 07:35 am
Protesters march near the G-8-Summit at Camp David in downtown Thurmont, Md on Saturday, May 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Timothy Jacobsen)
Dozens of police officers in riot gear contained more than 200 Ethiopian activists who jammed a small Maryland town's square Saturday to protest their prime minister's involvement in a global economic summit at nearby Camp David. Continue reading.
Authorities reported no arrests during the three-hour
demonstration that shut down the intersection of two state highways
through the center of town. The commotion drew scores of spectators,
many using cameras to document their town's latest role in world
affairs.
The flag-waving Ethiopian immigrants, mainly residents of the
Baltimore-Washington area, were protesting the rule of Meles Zenawi, who
was invited along with the heads of Benin, Ghana and Tanzania to
discuss food security with leaders of the Group of Eight leading
industrial nations. On Friday, President Barack Obama announced $3 billion in
private-sector pledges to help boost agriculture and food production in
Africa.
The United States is a major contributor of aid to Ethiopia, whose
longtime leader has been accused of restricting freedoms and news media.
Some in Ethiopia see him as a dictator. "Shame on you!" chanted the protesters, many waving their country's red, green and yellow flag. Some held a banner reading, "Zenawi: brutal dictator, pathological liar, mass murderer."
Police restricted demonstrators to Thurmont, a town of 6,200 several miles from the presidential retreat. Demonstrator Woni Hailesilassi, a 33-year-old cab driver from Falls
Church, Va., said he and four companions tried to drive their car to
Camp David but were turned away after 25 minutes of police questioning.
"We need for the people to understand who is the president," he said,
referring to Zenawi. "We know him very well. We want to show that to
the world." Local resident Cheryl Magers watched the demonstration from the front
steps of Thurmont Barber & Styling, across the street from
barricades.
"This is quite a commotion," she said. "And it's going to be a part of history. That's why we're here." A few doors down, Christina Spain sold $15 t-shirts reading, "I
survived G-8 Summit 2012," from a sidewalk table. She said she and her
boyfriend had 84 of the shirts printed overnight to sell as souvenirs.
"This is not going to happen again," she said.
Police said there were no arrests or other problems with the protesters. "Everybody got to come and demonstrate peacefully. There were no
issues and that's what we were hoping for," said Frederick County
Sheriff's Office Cpl. Jason West, a spokesman for a combined local and
state police force.
A handful of demonstrators from Occupy movements in Baltimore,
Washington and New Haven, Conn., joined in. Occupy Baltimore member
Richard Ochs said many others from the group went to Chicago to join
demonstrations against a meeting there of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, starting Sunday.
Read More: G-8 Summit,, Maryland, NewsChannel 8, Protest, World
Read More: G-8 Summit,, Maryland, NewsChannel 8, Protest, World
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