Jawar Mohammed appearance in Bethesda draws capacity crowd, sparks protests

Jawar Mohammed (at right) prepares to speak
at Church in Bethesda (via YouTube)

A swarm of Montgomery County police cruisers responded to Wilson Lane last night as chanting protesters gathered near the Church in Bethesda. I was told by a participant the demonstration was related to the appearance of Ethiopian media mogul and political figure Jawar Mohammed at the church, and now have been able to confirm this was the case. Video from inside the event shows a boisterous capacity crowd. The event was moved to the downtown Bethesda church following the cancellation of the original venue in the District, Catholic University.

While Jawar has fervent supporters, as evidenced by the turnout, the apparent controversy relates to political violence in Ethiopia that opponents say he was responsible for last month. No injuries or arrests related to the Bethesda protest, which appeared to be peaceful, have been announced by police. It was simply an issue of safety for all involved, and traffic management. The protests appear to have begun earlier at a hotel, then moved to Bethesda after the venue change.

For those interested in international politics and global affairs, it certainly was an exciting and interesting evening in downtown Bethesda.