Rally Report from Sweden

May 24th  Eritrea’s independence Day the 21st anniversary was marked by a huge rally against the suppression of the tyranny in front of the Eritrean Embassy in the City of Stockholm.

The Eritrean Democray Activists, Civil and political organizations organizations conducted today Friday 25th  May  a huge rally under a theme, “Enough 21 years in Slavery” Unite for human dignity!

A large number of pro-democracy forces have taken to the streets of Stockholm and marched towards the Eritrean Embassy chanting democratic slogans and distributing pamphlets to the by-passers on the brutal situation of the Eritrean people under the tyranny of the one-man rule.

The gathering started at 1.00 PM in the afternoon and ended at 4 PM local time in the evening.

The rally was welcomed by the organizers. The programme leader / Rally leader addressed the audience by briefing the aim of this rally on the occasion of  Eritrea’s independences day.

Mr. Yohannes. Member of the Swedish –Eritrean Youth Association for social justice and democracy stressed the importance of this day for the Eritrean people and why we demonstrate today. He expressed the aims of the demonstration in twofold and the current struggle from dictatorship to democracy. One is to unite all the forces for democratic change and the second is to draw attention of the international community towards the Eritrea people’s suppression. In a nutshell he added that it is end the dictatorship and liberate the Eritrean people from the brutal dictatorship. It is a rally for the salvation of the Eritrean people.

He continued by rehearsing the banners of the day to the rally so that the Embassy building was shaking that by-passers joined the rally and gave their support to the democratization in Eritrea.

The rally was participated by all the Eritrean diversities- Muslims, Christians, secularists and religious groups, women, youth and elders. Slogans and banners were repeatedly chanted by Arabic and Tigrinya. A banner with all the Eritrean languages were read and have been sung loudly together.

Invited guest speakers were given the opportunity to deliver their speeches turn by turn.

From the Eritrean side speeches were delivered by the young Eritreans among them were, the chairman of the Swedish. Eritrean Youth association for social justice, Mr Mesfin Berhe.  Mesfin Berhe told the audience that the dictator is now in defensive the opposition coming tother and embolden the struggle for democracy.

Poems were read by many young male and female participants.

Dr. Yusuf Berhanu, head of the Executive Council of the Eritrean National Council for democratic change delivered a short speech both in Arabic and Tigrinya. Dr. Yusuf stressed in his speech that the ENCDC objectives is not to remove Essays personally but change the dictatorial system from its foundations and replace it with a democratic state respecting the rights and freedoms of all citizens without segregation and discrimination. He welcomed the uprising of the youth and told the audiences that ENCDC is ready to support and strengthen this force in order to hasten the fall of the dictator in Eritrea.

Joint speeches were read by the organizers on in Arabic by Munir and the other in Tigrinya by Fessehaye Hagos.

The organizers have submitted a memorandum to the Swedish Parliament and Government. Demanding them that they take legal action against the supporters of the dictator in Sweden according the resolutions of the UNSC resolutions of the 2009 and 2011 sanctions against the dictator in Eritrea.

Urging the Swedish Parliament and Government that the Resolution sanction taken in 2009 and 2011 against the regime in Eritrea must be ineffect immediately.

And, increase their pressure that the regime in Eritrea releases all political prisoners. Finally they appealed that Sweden must exert its pressure on the EU to support the pro-democracy forces in Eritrea.

Media Coverage

The rally was attended by the Swedish paper- Expressen and Sweden radio and by many Eritrean social media reporters