Police Clash With Muslim Protesters in Ethiopia
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Saturday, August 12, 2006
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas Friday at hundreds of stone-throwing Muslims angered by the demolition of a half-built mosque in Ethiopia's capital, witnesses said.
Several people were bleeding in the streets, but the extent of their injuries was not clear.
More than 100 protesters were taken away in military trucks, and about 100 were under armed guard on the street.
At least one car was overturned and windows in several others were smashed during the clashes in the capital's Merkato district, the main Muslim area of Addis Ababa.
The disturbances broke out after the mosque was demolished because it was being built illegally on land owned by the city administration, said Cmdr. Hailu Demsash, a spokesman for the federal police.
"Muslim leaders were unhappy about the new site that was offered for the mosque," he said. "Some people in the community began to make problems. The police took action to displace the large crowds."
Ethiopia's population of about 75 million is about 45 percent Muslim and nearly the same percentage Christian, with the rest following indigenous beliefs.
