Columbia paper urges students to join Ethiopian activists

On its Sunday editorial, Columbia Spectator has asked students at Columbia University to show care about Ethiopia and speak out against the despot, Meles Zenawi. The paper expressed its disappointment that Meles Zenawi’s visit to the campus is not receiving the kind of criticism that Iranian president Ahmadinejad faced three years ago:

Three years ago, College Walk was littered with stinging critiques of the president of Iran. The facade of Butler was plastered with controversial quotes from Ahmadinejad. There isn’t a large Ethiopian community at Columbia, but that doesn’t excuse us from examining that nation’s political strife. We should not direct our attention only toward leaders with big names or those who have said outrageous things.

The paper went on to urge that students at the campus to join Ethiopian activists at the planned protest rally:

Activists from outside Columbia have scheduled a protest here for the day of Zenawi’s speech. It would be a shame if no one within the gates raised a voice about this event.

Read the full editorial here.