ESAT News (July 7, 2016)
Residents of Addis Ababa were outraged after they have found out that authorities moved to demolish two churches in the capital.
Two of the churches are located at the ongoing demolishing site where thousands of homes were bulldozed, rendering over 30,000 people homeless.
Last week, a demolishing team attempted to tear down the Saint Uriel Church but was stopped by the laity. Three days later, police shot and killed a priest.
On Thursday, a demolition team also moved to bulldoze the Kidanemeheret Church, but the laity fought back and stopped the demolition.
In all the cases, authorities demanded that the laity remove the holy tablet, which is the replica of the Ark of the Covenant from the churches so they could go ahead with the demolishing. They laity however have so far refused to do so.
Two police officers and a local administrator were killed in clashes with residents in the ongoing demolishing of a neighborhood in Addis Ababa. The government says it needs the area for other development projects, but did not provide shelters for those whose houses would be demolished. 300 people were arrested in the search for the killers of the officers.