Feyisa Lilesa Archives

Ethiopia’s Oromo Youth Will No Longer Stay Silent

February 6, 2017TesfaNews4 Comments

The Qubee generation is ready to fight on until either all Oromos are jailed, killed and exiled, or until everyone is free. By Uju Okoye, Mohammed Ademo, an Ethiopian journalist and editor of the OPride news platform, had a difficult time choosing the 2016 Oromo Person of the Year. In fact, Ademo admits in his […]

Ethiopian Opposition Briefs Members of EU Parliament

November 10, 2016November 10, 2016TesfaNews18 Comments

Chairman of Patriotic Ginbot 7, Chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress, and Rio Olympic medalist hearing at the European Parliament. By ESAT News, Ethiopian opposition party representatives and marathon star Feyissa Lelisa on Wednesday briefed members of the European Parliament on the crises in Ethiopia urging EU member states to stop financing a brutal regime […]

PM Hailemariam Blames Olympic Protest on U.S. Based Opposition Groups

September 21, 2016TesfaNews27 Comments

By Siobhan O’Grady and Brian Stout | for Foreign Policy, When Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa held his arms in an “X” as he crossed the finish line for a silver medal last month at the Rio Olympics, he says he was culminating a political protest he’d planned for months. But top Ethiopian officials say he […]

From Rio to America, I will keep fighting Ethiopia’s oppression: Feyisa Lilesa

September 13, 2016TesfaNews15 Comments

By Feyisa Lilesa | for Washington Post, On Aug. 21, when I reached the finish line of the men’s marathon at the Olympics in Rio, I crossed my fists above my head. This is sign of peaceful protest used by my people, the Oromo, for the past 10 months. I did it to raise awareness; […]

Quebec City Marathon Winner Replicates Olympic Medallist’s Political Protest

August 28, 2016TesfaNews18 Comments

By Tim Huebsch, Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia made headlines last Sunday when he finished second in the men’s marathon at the Olympics with his arms crossed above his head. The gesture, which was done in solidarity with the Oromo people’s anti-government protests in his home region, led Lilesa to say “If I go back to […]

An Olympic Protest is the Least of TPLF’s Worries

August 23, 2016TesfaNews54 Comments

By William Davison | for Foreign Policy, When Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa neared the finish line in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday and crossed his hands above his head, it wasn’t to celebrate the Olympic medal he was about to win. It was to protest his government’s violent crackdown on ethnic Oromos, who have died […]

BBC, the Comical State Media Playing Catch Up

August 22, 2016TesfaNews16 Comments

By Estifanos Marko, Here is this comical corporate media taking it over 26hours before it finally decides to write the biggest story at the Olympic Marathon where Silver Medalist, Feyisaa Lilesa show a sign of protest at the finish line. Despite the fact that the BBC was televising the Olympic Marathon Live and knew exactly […]

Feyisa Lilesa has Nothing to Fear After Olympic Protest: TPLF

August 22, 2016August 22, 2016TesfaNews53 Comments

By Thom Patterson | for CNN, Olympic marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa has nothing to fear because of a protest gesture he displayed as he crossed the finish line, Ethiopia’s communication minister said Monday. Lilesa won a silver medal Sunday with his arms crossed over his head in a sign of solidarity for his native Oromo […]