Ethiopia will not bar runner Feyisa Lilesa from entering the country after he made an anti-government gesture upon finishing second in the Olympic marathon on Sunday, according to a government…
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Ethiopia will not bar runner Feyisa Lilesa from entering the country after he made an anti-government gesture upon finishing second in the Olympic marathon on Sunday, according to a government spokesman.
Lilesa held his arms over his head, wrists crossed, as he strode across the finish line to claim the silver medal in Rio de Janeiro – mimicking a gesture made by the Oromo people who have suffered brutal police crackdowns.
The 26-year-old, who told journalists after the race that he might be killed if he returned home, is a member of the Oromo ethnic group, hundreds of whom have reportedly died in clashes with Ethiopian security forces since November 2015.
Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lilesa shows sign of protest as he crosses finish line https://t.co/UV4YyK0cJA pic.twitter.com/gkAJobOMGQ
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) 22 August 2016