- Title: NIGERIA: Protesters in Lagos defy weather to march for abducted girls
- Date: 14th May 2014
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (MAY 14, 2014) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS AND CHANTING VARIOUS OF WOMEN SEATED IN THE RAIN/SINGING PLACARD READING (English): "THANK YOU OBAMA! - PLEASE BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENDER ACTIVIST, HABIBA BALOGUN, SAYING: "We have to fight to get these girls back now so that we can protect ourselves, get the government to put security in place to save all of us. It's about protecting the whole country. These girls are a symbol of that. They are the first step that we are putting our foot down and saying enough is enough actually. Government, police, army and international diplomacy, everybody just come together and stop this kind of chaos, and banditry that they are using under the illusion of religion stop this kind of thing happening. It's ridiculous." PLACARD READING (English): ABDUCTION IS HARAM, RELEASE OUR GIRLS NOW" PLACARD READING (English): "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS NOW AND ALIVE" PLACARD READING (English): "FORCED CONVERSION IS FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM" (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOCTOR, OMO APATA, SAYING: "Hopefully, the pictures we see say they have found some of them, now we want them to go get them, that is all we ask for, go get them so we know you can protect us at all times, that's it." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING IN THE RAIN
- Embargoed: 29th May 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Reuters ID: LVA98AQRHUDCGM3PBX6C9847343V
- Story Text: Dozens of protesters braved torrential rains in Nigeria's most populous city on Wednesday (May 14) to mark one month since more than 200 girls in war-ravaged northeast Nigeria were kidnapped from their school.
Residents in Lagos protested despite the heavy downpour, chanting and calling for security forces to intensify its search efforts for the schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants four weeks ago.
The crowd including women and human rights activists who had left their jobs sat down in the rain at a busy intersection singing solidarity songs.
Gender activist, Habiba Balogun said the rescue of the girls is the first step for the government to prove that the lives of its citizens are secured.
"We have to fight to get these girls back now so that we can protect ourselves, get the government to put security in place to save all of us. It's about protecting the whole country. These girls are a symbol of that. They are the first step that we are putting our foot down and saying enough is enough actually. Government, police, army and international diplomacy, everybody just come together and stop this kind of chaos, and banditry that they are using under the illusion of religion stop this kind of thing happening. It's ridiculous," Balogun said.
A Boko Haram video released on Monday (May 12) showed more than 110 girls sitting on the ground in a rural location, the first time they have been seen in captivity.
"Hopefully, the pictures we see say they have found some of them, now we want them to go get them, that is all we ask for, go get them so we know you can protect us at all times, that's it," Omo Apata, a doctor based in Lagos.
Nigeria's government signalled a willingness on Tuesday (May 13) to negotiate with Islamist militants holding more than 200 schoolgirls, a month after the kidnapping that has provoked global outrage. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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