The Los Angeles Little Ethiopia neighborhood hosted its 9th annual street festival on Sunday, September 12. Over 20 Ethiopian businesses in Los Angeles took part in the festival. Shockingly, the Woyanne cadres in Los Angeles were also given a table to promote their ruling junta through the Woyanne occupied Consulate General.
While the organizer of this event, Little Ethiopia Business Association, deserves credit for hosting a great festival, they should not have allowed representatives of the fascist tribal regime in Ethiopia to be part of the event.
Ironically, a few feet away from the Woyanne Consulate General’s table there was a booth by FreeBirtukan.org that works to free Birtukan Mideksa and other prisoners of conscience in Ethiopia.
Hopefully in the future the organizers will correct such a major blunder that is offensive to most Ethiopians in Los Angeles who have suffered under the Woyanne junta.
In the afternoon, Ethiopians started to confront the Woyanne cadres and forced them to pack up and leave. But they remain disappointed at the organizers who allowed them to step up their table at the event in the first place.
Below, Woyanne cadres laugh at Birtukan Mideksa supporters who have confronted them.
Ethiopians every where need to challenge and confront the Woyanne junta. They must not be allowed to move freely among us while they are brutalizing our people at home.
20 thoughts on “LA Little Ethiopia festival marred by Woyanne presence”
Stupid, that is what democracy is all about Not like your model Eritrean Dectatorship.
It would have been a different story if this event was in Washington dc.thank you Elias
for God’s sake.. they say they are the Ethiopian Consulate General.. can’t they atleast have a nice silkscreen print out?..they are there with a hand written sign? you would imagine a country with a double digit growth.. will have a better display than the opposition trying to free its leader…..they are not prepared even to spent a few dollars for a display booth.. for their country !!! what a government!!! they are full of shit!
It is really big blunder to allow our enemies an opportunity to be mixed up with ethiopians, whom they are being tortured and killed by these terrorist mafias ,is tantamount to oblivious of the woyanes criminal act.I think the festival is not an event where woyanes wage their venomous anti-Ethiopian propaganda in our turf.Though it is awell done job ,the organizer should by no means repeat such blunder in future.Therfore have to denounce and apologize the public so as to build strong bond between the people and organizer.
To Hello – Eritreans have excellent medical treatment, Malaria, polio and contagious desease are history. Kids go to excellent schools and college. No ngo’s. No hungry people and most of all civil society. The leaders did not change in to ruling class. They live amongst the people and no beurocracy to speake to the leaders. This is all the sign of good governance. If you are open minded just read a little.
seriously guys, don’t waste your time.. it is a nice opportuniity to see how much the country means to them.. with a display this bad:) a 2nd grader could do a better job than this “Ethiopian consulate” stand.. its another way of showing how much they don’t care about Ethiopia’s image!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is sad to see that this festival is getting smaller and smaller each year. In it’s 9th year, it had the smallest crowed ever.
Thanx to the people of LA, I mean the ethiopian community, for telling the woyaneys that they can not spit on their face. I hate any one who was working with the woyanie back home and when he come to states who become opposition spokesman. Guys we have to be careful with these people exactly like the woyanies.
To Hello (#1)
This has nothing to do with democracy. Criminals and promoters of terrorists should never be allowed to roam freely among peaceful people. Afinchahin neber malet! minew wend tefa?
The serious problem is that many Ethiopians are failing to understand the importance of boycotting the weyanne Ethno-fascists. The organizers should not have allowed the ethno-fascists to come to the scene and annoy Ethiopians.
The struggle should continue until the ethno-fascists pack up and leave Ethiopia. The ethno-fascists are not interested in equality and freedom and must be confined to their stony republic and made pay the price for their fascistic deeds.
There is a point to be noted here.
The Woyanes and their collaborators are none other than our “friends”, co-workers, and neighbors. There is this thing called “Yilugnta” that discourages one from confronting these collaborators.
The fact of the matter is, every time we smile and include the collaborators in social functions and settings, we are encouraging them to continue without impunity. In that respect, we are at fault. By WE I mean those of us Ethiopians that have left Ethiopia for political or economic reasons (i.e not not for vacation.)
Who are the handing over our activity report? Who are the spies that inform TPLF of any information that can give them leverage over us? We are greatly underestimating the net that extends throughout the diaspora.
I am yet to hear one writer address this issue with the attention and urgency it deserves. Elias, if you can put in a call for paper on this topic please do so.
WE DON’T WANT TO SEE THESE PEOPLE AGAIN, THEY DON’T REPRESESNT US THEY REPRESENT WOYANNE,THE ORGANIZERS SHOULD KNOW THIS.IT IS TRUE WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DEMOCRACY! WHEN I SAW THEM THERE I WAS STUNNED AND SICK.
Habte, you are saying Eritreans are better off than Ethiopians? You cann’t be serious, right? The most isolated and ruined country of the world has a better medical care for its citizens and more? I just wonder in the world then are countless people trying to flee in droves – taking the chance to be shot at? Why is then Eritrea and Eritreans are on the top of the UNCHR list? In your dream you may wish that to be the case, but the reality suggests otherwise. Your todays Ethiopia is flourishing and the people are well off with the current government beyond your imagination. May be you are one of the unlucky ones you put a self imposed ban to go to Ethiopia, you know in Ethiopia you can go in and out as you wish – a luxury in your beloved Eritrea afforded only to the ruling juanita – so you don’t have a clue to judge the good progress being made. If you keep on reading Elias’s bible of hate and all the propaganda from Shabia you may soon think you are in fact a Caucasian. Habte, go to bet tsehbet and preach to your follow yes-sayers this nonsense. Spare us your glorifying this most corrupt and dictator government for the sake of the poor Eritreans.
Elias,
thanks again, but i have to say i was very disapointed to see the number of people who were opposing the presence of those hodams. in my opinion all the people who were should have spoken to let those hodam know they were not well-come.from my observation Ethiopian in LA are not just active..they in mute mode. they do not participate anything that has to do with ethiopian democracy. only few show concern to what is happening in Ethiopia but these was teddy afros concert, i am sure everyone would be dancing. to see Birtukan’s picture and not do anything is just a shame.
Habte @#5: Good for you! I am really happy that you have all that, but honestly, what does it have to do with the article.. or with what we are discussing now? why are you even commenting? you are a happy Eritrean right? so why not leave us Ethiopians solve our problem? (although i can argue in many ways that not all you have said about Eritrea is true.. but if you are happy about it who are we to interfere?)
Balcha @#13
we don’t have to put Eritrea down, to put Ethiopia up.. Eritrea is a different country.. like Kenay , Uganda, Sudan.. etc… why do we worry what they have and don’t have.. do you measure how good you are just by looking down on Eritrea? i don’t get it.. why is it a matter of discussion? if you are a weyane.. i understand you always try to put the lime light.. on Eritrea (yeah.. you guys were talking about Dergists all along that is old now so you blame it on Eritreans) and if they did anything to Ethiopia before.. its because you let’em! can’t believe you guys were quick to forget all the blunder you made when you were friends with Shabia!.
.. so in general let’s not waste time by competing with eachother and let’s both work towards our own definition of democracy and development in our own ways!
I think part of the blame should go to the organizers of the event too. The minority regime of Woyane has never set foot at these events except for this year. What gives? We should ask ourselves.
I understand that this is a non political event where all Ethiopians are welcome to participate. The law probably says that too. But, wait a minute… Nazi party members and people who espouse racist ideologies are present in the States. Will they be allowed to be part of a Jewish celebration of Roshashanah? Will they be welcomed in a Martin Luther King Jr Day Parade by the African American Community? No. Absolutely not. Why then do we allow them to participate knowing that their prescence is unwelcome by many Ethiopians who have suffered under them? Why allow the Woyane to come and celebrate with us while they are working hard to divide us along ethnic and religious lines? Why do the organizers let this happen. I am sure this fact is not lost to them as they have denied this same opportunity to Woyane several times before. Certainly, it is not for the pittance Woyane paid out of the looted Ethiopian money to rent the booth.
The organizers may have been infiltrated, some bought or some of them compromised. That is my inescapable conclusion.
Just looking at some of the comments I was really saddened and lost hope. One comment says “those who were working with woyane and now here in the US working with the opposition, we should never trust them”. If we avoid any one because of working with derg or woyane then there will be no opposition. We are tolerant of those who murdered our family by serving derg and woyane so long us they recant and change. What the hell are you talking guys? are you losing your minds? that is if you have it.
It always amazes me to read an article and read the responses from most all sides and we are contradicting our ideals even in America. Its sad most Ethiopians want freedom in speech, involvement and all the freedom in the world but you are contradict yourself when you are asking them to pack and leave. I support the decisions that the organizers have made, they give everyone a platform to be represented and the same right we want they have. This is AMERICA people, sadly if you think like this about majority opposed groups then you would be the same dictators that you are trying to replace.
This is coming from a frustrated 23 years old college students and reading some of your options I see why you are ruled not ruling and glad it’s the way it is. I fear what you would become.
THE CONSULATE GENERAL FACILITATES AND PROMOTES BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS WITHIN THE ETHIOPIAN COMMUNITY IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA. THE CONSULATE GENERAL PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LITTLE ETHIOPIA AND THE WHOLE ETHIOPIAN COMMUNITY IN THE WEST COAST . THIS GIVES THE CONSULATE GENERAL FULL RIGHT TO BE PRESENT IN THE FESTIVAL REGARDLESS WHAT GOES ON IN ETHIOPIA.
Elias,
I always admire your stand on the issue that matter to Ethiopia and Ethiopians. For the same reason, I was one of the Ethiopian Review magazine subscribers while it was hardcopy before it becomes the internet. I don’t know if you ever received or quite aware of the email circulation under the title “The Los Angeles “Little Ethiopia” 8th Anniversary Celebrated!” I did follow the discussion that lasted almost just about 5-moth just on email format with the moderated by the guy name Fasil S.G. I remember quite number of people shared their views. It is the most civil discussion that I had ever witnessed. I will forward to you for your reference. I’m confident you could really used to connect the dots. The initial discussion was sparked because one the evening show host was Lyten Arara did comment about Ethiopian parents in most awkward way you could imagine. The organizers motive as well as the “Founding Mothers” had been elaborated during the discussion with participants who had been insiders who write with authority. I think you could be able to have full circle understanding to see why and how the Ethiopian Consulate was able to earn booth and infiltrated such disintegrated community in Los Angeles.
For frustrated 23 years old college student.
I understood what you are trying to address. Trust me most Ethiopia people also understood the America you are referring because America has been home away from home for Ethiopian exile and political refuges since 1974. I’m confident considering your age bracket you had seen on http://www.youtube.com Yared Shumete’s short film “Democracy Video Challenge” which earned him as finalist for Africa. He used title in his short film “Democracy is Fair Play” to illustrate such theme he choice known Ethiopian children game that most of us played growing up in Ethiopia. Don’t you think it fair to direct your question to Ethiopian ruling party to encourage different views instead of silencing and shutting down the independent news papers? What plat form has been setup except to retail $500 dollars useless “Ethiopian Origin ID” that automatically put you as guest in your own country? I had told a friend about your comment. He suggested for you to do your own research even to travel to Ethiopia and see what is going on before passing judgment why the Ethiopians in Los Angeles reacted in such a way. He also added for me to tell you story of the Amharic teacher and his student. The Amharic teacher introduce the word “Lemute” with its definition which translates in English blank, empty, clear, bare, vacant etc. The teacher instructed the students to use the word Lemute in the sentence as part of practice to enhance the student understanding. As the teacher walk around the student desk most of them seem to be busy constructing statement using the word “Lemute.” However, there was one student who is not even tried to write anything on her paper. The teacher asked with such disappointment, “Why are not constructing statement?” The student didn’t budge to answer. Then, the teacher went head said, “You paper is empty so do your brain. You do perfectly match the word in your deed ‘Lemute Worket’.”