Eritrean community demonstrates at Free Press
About 100 protestors from the Eritrean community demonstrated outside the offices of the Winnipeg Free Press today, upset about stories they believe portray them as having links to terrorist groups. Lambros Kyriakakos, a board member with
About 100 protestors from the Eritrean community demonstrated outside the offices of the Winnipeg Free Press today, upset about stories they believe portray them as having links to terrorist groups.
Lambros Kyriakakos, a board member with the Eritrean Community in Winnipeg Inc., said he wants to see an apology in the Free Press.
“We want to see action,” Kyriakakos said.
“Our children are being called terrorists… this causes damage… We are now Canadians. The actions of two or three people can’t stigmatize the whole community.”
Several people waved signs saying “We are victims of terrorists” and “Don’t victimize the victim.”
At one point, six Winnipeg police cruisers were at the Free Press and a police officer helped Free Press security close one of the gates to prevent protestors from coming onto the property after a vehicle with four members of an opposing group drove into the parking lot.
One of the people in that vehicle, Ghezae Hagos, said there are more Eritreans in Winnipeg who disagree with the protesters, but they are afraid of repercussions against them or their family if they speak out.
“It is a privilege to come to Canada,” Hagos said.
“These people are perpetuating the problems in Eritrea. This protest is a reflection of what is going on back home.
“They have just come to demonstrate and silence us.”
Free Press editor Margo Goodhand met the protesters at the gate and waded into the middle of the crowd to explain the newspaper’s side and hear from the protestors.
Afterwards, Goodhand said “this is a free and democratic society, and we welcome opinions of all kinds.
“I’m glad these people came out to express their perspective, and we will continue to investigate the issue. We will not be intimidated by protests or petitions or threats on either side.
“We stand by our reporters and the work they have done on this story.”
Winnipeg Free Press
No matter the legitimacy of their demands, the PFDJ regime supporters have been listened to; but will they ever listen?
Alphafil December 16, 2011
Look, it is pointless to reason with tyranny worshippers, we have tried that for decades. It is an insult to animals to compare them with Isaias worshippers!!!!
Enough with stupidity let us ones and for all eradicate those dead brains and lost souls along side with their master!!! What are we waiting for? Let us unite and protect our selves. let us use the language HGDEF understand BRUTE FORCE!!!!
Amanuel ; birmingham December 16, 2011
How could they put children in the front, is it safe to keep children in demonstration. I think this could be seen in light of what could happen if somethings goes wrong.
The Hegdf supportes should refer monitoring group report than shouting on the Free Press, that was the reason UNSC put the sanction on Issais’s regime. The worest dictator in the world. I cannot support hegdf because I scare of regime or to get land from hegdf or bond. I hate hegdf for simple reason, because Issais put the country in difficult situation for his personal ego. He wants to stay in power like Gaddif his big brother. He will have the same fate like Gaddafi. Lets leave it and just watch.
Semhar December 16, 2011
Abdi,
Why did you come to Canada? Why did you apply for political asylum?
Why many Eritreans are leaving Eritrea risking their life, going through the desert?
Abdi,
Eritrea is made, what remains is making Eritreans.
All we need is to unite our people and fight our #1 enemy the tyrant dictator in ERITREA and his followers the PFDJ.
We must destroy them just like the Libyans did to Gadaffi.
SHAME ON you! To let one tyrant mercenary, one dictator destroy our land, our people and our culture.
Shame ON you! To let one mercenary dissolve our heroic national liberation fronts ELF 1982, EPLF 1993.
SHAME ON you! To let one mercenary, dictator turn us against one another and against all our neighbors (Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen and now Kenya).
SHAME ON you! To let the dictator kill our heroes, our disable veterans, jail our parents and our religion leaders and members.
This tyrant dictator must go!
We must apply Libyan style!
This is the moment we must come together to save our land and our people.
Let’s learn from Canadians and liberate our land and our people.
Let freedom ring in Eritrea!
sem December 16, 2011
Semhar,
I think your father was ELF and you should ask him what exactly happen to ELF but about the EPLF still there , it’s just the name change. The leaders are there , where do you think those all generals who protecting our country came from . you need to know your history a little bit if you want to talk about it but ELF were the one which was killing all the well educated christian fighter before it was kicked out of Eritrea once for all so i don’t really need to talk about this but you mention it so many time so just for you to know and those are the people on the oppostion leadership who is going to Ethiopia just get a chance to do unfinished business from 1980s and it will never happen to those old people are dead.
Selamawi December 16, 2011
We are so unlucky to have brothers and sisters with the kind of mentality! They did not defend the oppressed people of Eritrea when they are languishing in the harshest of conditions, some of them dead as a result of bad treatment. They did not dare to utter a word when His Holiness Abune Antonios demoted and arrested. They did not dare to say a word when Eritrean girls and boys were being dragged to the notorious Sawa military camp (some times described as ‘rape camp’). They were silent when the youth are condemned to eternal servitude. They were silent when ex-ministers and army generals, veteran liberation fighters, the elderly, worthy intellectuals and wise men and women were being detained not to be seen again!
They did not say a word when the country is clearly in emergency situation. They did not stand up for the victims of Sinai… You know ransom is being paid inside Eritrea in order to release loved ones held hostage in Sinai. Think about it! They did not hold accountable the PGDJ dictatorial regime ford any of the unfathomable miseries of their compatriots.
It is such a loss for all of us Eritreans to have compatriots who cannot see things clearly and they are unable to see the impact of the current situation. Let the supporters of PFDJ know that their actions and/or inactions are costing the nation its souls!
Common sense will prevail and I want to be on the right side of history: on the side of the oppressed, and the persecuted!
Abnet Tesfai December 16, 2011
Fortunately I know some of the protesters participated in the demonstration. They are so mindless, they don’t know what they say. They remained brainwashed by the outdated Isayass politics. The organizers and the ones who are advocating the dictator’s policies had no information about what is happening in Eritrea nor they don’t want to hear about it because they are opportunists. They have no any son/ daughter in the endless military service in Eritrea . Their children are going to the western schools, their families are enjoying the highest living standard . Whereas, the peasants daughters and sons are facing the worst fate in earth.
But they are right according to the Tigrinia proverb… zeysinikas hitsa kortimelu….
Abdi December 17, 2011
Your lies ain’t make you any good,last summer PIA’S daughter graduated from sawa as equally as the rest of her fellow students.stop make up things.
Ahmed Saleh December 16, 2011
My problem is since we are Eritreans and we hear all these bad stories which happen backhome. These people refuse to connect themselves with those victims who do not deserve that in their own free country. Sometimes you suspect what is behind this action which does not make a sense at all. Our young men and girls are violated their human right worse than the previous authoritarian regime of Ethiopia. And they try to put all the facts as fabricated news, they only proof themselves that they are anti-society with slave mind.
Biniam Germany December 17, 2011
Look at these brainless supporters! They claim that their heart beats so long as the heart of their god Isaias beats, at the same time they claim democratic rights in Winnipeg. They do not care about how inhuman the regime is, and how much Eritreans are suffering. All they care is that they go to Asmara regularily, that they bring bogus refugees in the name of Eritrean community, threaten people to pay money for the brutal regime, etc. They are just animals, they belong to an animal farm!
daniel December 17, 2011
HIGDEF and IT”S SUPPORTERS ARE SOCIAL PARASITES!!
THEY SHOULD BE EXTERMINATED !! HUNT THEM DOWN IF THEY KEEP DOING THIS AT THE EXPENSES OF OUR NATION ,BLOOD SUCKERS THEY DON”T HAVE MORAL AND SOUL ,NAZIS!!
Kiflom December 17, 2011
It is rather necessary to make yourselves and your political stand & actions clear to all Eriterian natives. If you are Canadian citizens you have no right to interfere in the internal political affairs of Eritrea. Your contribution in terms of 2% is disgusting. Your support for totalitarian dictatorship, but living in a democratic nation among democratic societies is shameless. Your ambiguous traits are suspect. They stimulate the nervous systems of all sane human beings to question about it seriously. It is the duty of the Canadian Government to make clear who the citizens of Canada are or not are? Having two identities & two passports is not expected to be the law of citizenship of Canada. If Canada is at war with Eriteria with which group are you going to stand? Which country are you going to attack? This is also a serious question for all political holders of the Canadian Government. Your demonstration using two forks & knives in Canada is senseless!!!!
kib December 18, 2011
You know always PFDJ are ignorant if they are own good history and fell proud on they are government why living in north pool with poverty looking the Canadian hand just 500 dollar per month ok if you are proud go back home stay with your dictator and follow him his terrorist behavior. If the Canadian government wise should send you back to Eritrea then you will know who you are ignorant.