Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (CNN) Police fired tear gas Sunday at demonstrators in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, where tens of thousands had gathered to mourn a national hero.
The unrest occurred at a state funeral for Simegnew Bekele, lead engineer on the $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project, who was found slumped at the wheel of his car Thursday with a gunshot wound to his head.
Bekele’s body arrived in the city’s Meskel Square about 11 a.m. local time in a hearse adorned with garlands, followed by about 50 white cars. Witnesses told CNN that some members of the crowd became angry after they were prevented from following Bekele’s coffin to the church where he was to be laid to rest.
“For about 20 minutes, they were chanting that this government is not yet democratic,” said Bisrat Teshome, 35, an economist who was at the square.
Several protesters then attempted to climb a pole and replace the current Ethiopian flag, which bears a star, with an older version without the emblem, in an act of political defiance.
The star is a symbol of diversity and unity, but there has long been public annoyance that it was added to the flag without proper consultation, Teshome said.
“They (the police) started throwing tear gas in between people. Then everyone ran away. It was the first time I had seen tear gas,” Teshome said.
A handful of people were rushed to a hospital after being sprayed with tear gas, witnesses told CNN.
