![\"Ethiopian](\"http:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/49DD\/production\/_91490981_mediaitem91490978.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMany people have been killed and injured in Ethiopia’s Oromia region after security forces fired on a major protest, witnesses say.<\/p>\n
Some died in a panicked stampede after troops opened fire, the reports said.<\/p>\n
Thousands had gathered for a religious festival in Bishoftu, 40km (25 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.<\/p>\n
Some reports said troops responded after anti-government protesters threw stones and bottles, while others said demonstrators were entirely peaceful.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ethiopia’s government said in a statement that “lives were lost”, adding: “Those responsible will face justice”.<\/p>\n
An Oromo activist, Jawar Mohamed, is quoted as saying nearly 300 people were killed and many more injured. He said troops and a helicopter gunship had opened fire, driving people off a cliff and into a lake.<\/p>\n
There has been no independent confirmation of this.<\/p>\n
There have been months of deadly clashes in Ethiopia recently.<\/p>\n
People in the Oromia and Amhara regions have complained about political and economic marginalisation.<\/p>\n
Crowds at Sunday’s Oromo festival chanted “We need freedom” and “We need justice”, witnesses said.<\/p>\n
Some participants crossed their wrists above their heads, a gesture that has become a symbol of Oromo protests.<\/p>\n
The unrest was sparked last November by a plan to expand the capital into Oromia. This led to fears that farmers from the Oromo ethnic group, the largest in Ethiopia, would be displaced.<\/p>\n
The plan was later dropped but protests continued, highlighting issues such as marginalisation and human rights.<\/p>\n
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–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many people have been killed and injured in Ethiopia’s Oromia region after security forces fired on a major protest, witnesses say. Some died in a panicked stampede after troops opened fire, the reports said. Thousands had gathered for a religious festival in Bishoftu, 40km (25 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa. Some reports said troops […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":254153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[202,12219],"yoast_head":"\n