Solidarity Beyond Borders: Oromo Community’s Call for Unity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Melbourne’s Oromo Community Stands in Solidarity with Jewish Australians After Bondi Attack
MELBOURNE, VIC โ 19 December 2025 โ The Oromo Community in Melbourne has issued a powerful statement of solidarity and support for the Australian Jewish community following the horrific antisemitic terror attack on peaceful Chanukah celebrations in Bondi.
The statement expresses the communityโs profound grief and unwavering support for the victims, their families, and all those impacted by the tragedy. “Our deepest condolences, sympathy, and love are with the bereaved families, the injured victims, the courageous first responders, and all members of the Jewish and wider Bondi community impacted by this tragedy,” the statement reads.
In a show of national unity, the Oromo community announced it has joined over 200 civil society organisations across Australia in signing a collective statement against hate, representing millions of Australians.
A Call for Unity and Safety
The community’s Chairperson, Mr. Alemayehu Kube, emphasized the shared values of peace and safety. โLove is what fortifies a community, while violence and hatred only destroy,โ said Mr. Kube. โThere is no place for hatred and violence in any form. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish community, who have an absolute right to feel safe and be safe in our shared country.โ
The statement explicitly frames the attack as an assault on the nation’s core principles, calling it โan affront to the tolerance and inclusion that define our national character.โ It asserts that the right to safety is universal and โcannot depend on identity, origin, cultural background, age, or gender.โ
A Commitment to Action and Reflection
Beyond words of support, the Oromo community has committed to tangible action, stating it is โcommitted to deep reflection and meaningful actionโ in the face of such evil. The statement highlights the long-term trauma of such events, especially for children and families, and calls for a collective national response.
โIn this difficult moment, we call on all Australians to come together as one united people,โ the statement urges. โOur strength has always resided in our diversityโin people of all faiths and cultures, from over 236 backgrounds, standing side by side in empathy and mutual respect.โ
The message concludes with a hopeful vision, advocating for a response of compassion over fear and unity over division. โMay we support one another, honour those who have been impacted, and continue building an Australia where every person feels safe, valued, and supportedโin both body and mind.โ
The full statement from the Oromo Community in Melbourne is available for review.
About the Oromo Community in Melbourne: The Oromo Community in Melbourne represents members of the Oromo diaspora in Victoria, fostering cultural preservation, community support, and active civic engagement within Australia’s multicultural society.
Oromo Rights Protest Held in London, Demanding International Action on Ethiopia
LONDON, UK โ December 10, 2025 โ A protest organized under the banner “Tumsa Haqa Oromoo” (Support Oromo Rights) was held in London, with participants calling for an end to human rights abuses in Ethiopia and international intervention to halt the ongoing violence in the Oromia region.
According to Dr. Gizaaw Taasisaa, a member of the organizing committee who spoke to OMN, the protest’s key objectives were to condemn the widespread human rights violations and killings targeting the Oromo people, demand an end to the attacks on Oromia’s borders, and urge the global community to take decisive action.
Protesters highlighted that the offensive on Oromia’s borders has enabled militias, particularly the “Fino” in Western and Central Oromia, to carry out mass killings against civilians.
Key Demands Presented
As outlined by Dr. Gizaaw Taasisaa, the demonstrators presented several critical demands to the Ethiopian government:
- Immediately haltย the forced conscription of children into the military.
- Cease the killingsย of Oromo civilians.
- End the genocideย and the military operations being conducted across Ethiopia.
- Withdraw all forcesย from Oromia.
Furthermore, protesters called for justice and accountability, demanding:
- The cases of murdered artists and activists, includingย Haacaaluu Hundeessaaย andย Battee Urgeessaa, and all other victims be brought to light.
- Theย unconditional release of all political prisonersย in Ethiopia.
- That Ethiopian officials responsible for crimes be brought beforeย international courts.
Focus on Dirree Dhawaa and International Complicity
The protest also specifically condemned the government’s ongoing attacks in the Somali regional state against Oromia. Dr. Gizaaw Taasisaa emphasized that the city of Dirree Dhawaa is historically, legally, demographically, and geographically part of Oromia.
Finally, the demonstrators called on theย UK Government and international financial institutionsย to suspend all financial and diplomatic support to the Ethiopian government. A formal petition detailing these grievances was also submitted to the UK Foreign Office.
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