Hundreds of people have been arrested in Gondar town following the “illegal” three-day stay-home strike which was held this past week, just days after the declaration of a national state of emergency. More than 300 people have been arrested, according to some media reports.
The three-day strike held from February 19-21 hit schools, colleges, markets and public transport and factories. Officials were reportedly trying to persuade residents to open their shops and business but with little success. The Reporter wrote that the strike was first called by social media activists but was later renounced after news came out prisoners who were arrested by the government following the 2016 unrest in the town were released.
Authorities say people had participated in a strike for which there would be “zero tolerance.” Mayor Tekeba Tebabal vowed that the town would take a tough stance against residents, employees and business holders who were engaged in the strike. He told BBC Amharic that one of the things banned under the new state of emergency rule is participating in strikes and demonstrations, hence a rule and regulation put in place to punish those involved.
Police is detaining business owners, and even bank managers until late afternoon today who supposedly took part in the strike, forbidding some of them to operate and taking away license plate from vehicles, taxis and rickshaws, according to reprots.