Because he includes everyone, from youth to adults, from adults to elderly, mothers, fathers, everyone, I’m here to support that idea ... He is a leader that will keep Ethiopia in good position for the future, I believe. His start is good. We don’t know how he will end, but if his beginning is good, there is no reason the end shouldn’t be successful. May God help him, and we are by his side.” - Dereje on Ethiopian PM Dr. Abiy, translated from Amharic.
“እሄ ሁሉንም ፡ ከትንሽ እስከ ኣዋቂ ፡ ኣዋቂም እስከ ትልቅ ስዎች ፡ እናትም ፡ ኣባትም ፡ ሁሉንም እያሳተፈ ሰለሆነ ፡ ያንን ነገር በመደገፍ ነው። ... የወደፍቷ ኢትዮጵያ ጥሩ መሥመር የማስይዝ መሪ ነው ፡ እኔ በራሴ ያሰብኩት። እንግዲህ ፡ ጅማሬው ጥሩ ነው ፡ ፍፃሜዉን ኣናውቅም ግን ጅማሬው ጥሩ ከሆነ ፡ ፍፃሜው እማያምርበት ምንም ምክንያት ኣይኖርም። እግዛበሔር ይርዳው ፡ እኛም ከጎኑ ነን።” - ደረጀ
“I came today ... to show our oneness, togetherness, and Ethiopia’s unity ... If we strengthen our oneness through togetherness, Ethiopia will be a country that reaches high places” - Helen, who came from Philly, translated from Amharic
"የመጣሁት ዛሬ ... አንድንነታችን ፡ አብሮነታችን ፡ ኢትዮጵያ መደመራችን አስመልክቶ ነው። ... አንድነታችንን አጠንክረን በአብሮነታችን ... ኢትዮጵያ ትልቅ ቦታ እምትደርስ አገር ናት።" - ሄለን
“This is a voice of Ethiopia. He has finally brought out our voice. We have been going through a lot for the past 27 years, and this is the voice of Ethiopians, all Ethiopians ... He knows how to talk. He knows how to make people come together. He has the words to put us together." - Sawa
“As you can see, I’m young, part of the younger generation. Through history, we know Ethiopians to be fighting for their people, insightful and empathetic, but I haven’t seen that in recent years. The current change has made me very emotional. I’m happy because people have united in the name of love.” - Netsanet, translated from Amharic.
“እንደምታዬኝ ፡ ወጣት ነኝ ፡ ያሁኑ ትዉልድ ነኝ። በታሪክ ፡ ኢትዮጵያኖች እደምናውቃቸው ፡ ጀግና ለወገናቸው ፡ ኣሳቢ ፡ እና ተቆርቋሪ ናቸው። ግን ፡ ያለፍኩበት ዘመን ይህን ኣላሳይኝም። የዛሬው ለውጥ በጣም emotional ኣርጎኛል። ደስ ብሎኛል ሰው ለፍቅር ሰለተደመረ።” - ነጻነት .
“I went to Ethiopia when I was a freshman. During that time, in my mother's village, we saw people getting shot straight execution-style. We saw kids getting murdered, and my father wasn't even allowed to come back or he’d get arrested. Coming here, it’s like now all of us can go back home ... [Dr. Abiy’s] opened so many doors that have been so closed for a bunch of years ... I was skeptical in the beginning. He just got elected, and I’m like okay, he’s probably going to be a puppet of some sort for the government. But, he did so much in such a short period of time."
“I just hope that it stays like this and we can have a lot more better things coming out. I hope we have all the political prisoners getting out of prison. I hope we kick all the corrupt people out. I just want him to keep doing what he's doing ... We haven’t been this united in probably over 30 years. This just makes me happy to see everyone, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Oromo, Amhara. All of us being here together is such a good thing. Nobody can divide us now.” – Nafisa
“There’s so much love in the atmosphere. I’m so happy. I feel like I’m back home with my people. I never expect this much love to be happening in a big space. What you’re seeing right now, we don’t see any ethnicity. You just see Ethiopian people rising together just to be one and celebrate in their oneness, their nation. I’m blessed to be here.” – Rediat (top left)
“I think there’s more bright future in him, but I don’t think it’s going to be only him. The people have to come and support him. That’s why I’m here with my family ... I’ve been protesting in Washington, D.C., in New York when the Qeerroo Movement started, and its not my first time. With that struggle, with that protest, we put him in power. Now, it’s a joyful thing to see this.” - Motuma (top right)
