ESAT News (August 7, 2017)
The city of Bahir Dar today commemorated the massacre of over 50 anti-government protesters in August 2016 by snipers of the regime security.
Businesses were shut down while transportation was disrupted in Bahir Dar on Monday. City mayor Ayenew Belay confirmed the strikes to local media but said they were able to convince some business to open.
Tensions were high on Monday in Bahir Dar with huge presence of security forces. Two bomb explosions were reported on Sunday but according to police commander Walelign Dagnew no casualties were reported. He said five people were detained in connection with the grenade explosion. No party took responsibility for that explosion.
Reports also say tensions were high in Debre Tabor, Woreta, Gondar, Woldia, Dangila and Enjibara where security forces were deployed in huge numbers.
The stay at home strike was called to commemorate the one year anniversary of the killing of over 50 protesters by Agazi special forces of the TPLF.
The protests in the Amhara region was mainly sparked by the demand by the people of Wolkait in Gondar for the restoration of their identity as well as land annexed to Tigray by the Tigrayan dominated regime.
At least 200 people were killed in the protest in Gondar and Bahir Dar last year as the Amhara region joined the anti-government protest in the Oromo region where security forces killed at least 1500 people.