At least six people have reportedly lost their lives and dozens of others been detained in anti-government protests in Ethiopia. The fatalities were announced by locals, who said they occurred during two days of rallies on Friday and Saturday as hundreds of protesters clashed with police in Ethiopia’s northern region of Gondar, located 700 kilometers north of the capital, Addis Ababa.

Authorities in Ethiopia have yet to confirm the death toll. Sources said some 500 people also gathered on the capital’s main square despite heavy police presence, expressing their anger with what they said was an unfair distribution of wealth in the East African country. “We want our freedom,” and “Free our political prisoners,” the protesters shouted.

The rallies were reportedly called by opposition groups from the main Ethiopian ethnic group, namely the Oromo people. “This is a mass movement of civil disobedience, which is not organized by political parties,” said Merera Gudina, the chairman of the Oromo People’s Congress, a political party representing the Oromo people. “People are totally fed up with this regime and expressing their anger everywhere,” he added.

Presstv