Feyisha Liesa Protests Ethiopian Government
The marathon runner made a cross armed gesture while advancing past the finish line in his silver medal performance at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Liesa made the “X” symbol to protests the country’s treatment of citizens from Liesa’s native Oromia region.
“The Ethiopian government is killing my people so I stand with all protests anywhere as Oromo is my tribe.” Liesa said after the race. “My relatives are in prison and if they talk about democratic rights they are killed. I raised my hands to support with the Oromo protest.”
Fearing for his life, Liesa never returned home after competing in the Olympics. He moved to the United States and currently lives in Arizona. But last month, Liesa said he was open to returning to Ethiopia after the country undertook new reforms.
“I was waiting for a change to happen in the country,” said Liesa. “And there are changes after the new prime minister came to power.”
