USA: Protesters gather outside Nigerian embassy in Washington, D.C. to call for release of kidnapped school girls

Record ID: 236740

  • Title: USA: Protesters gather outside Nigerian embassy in Washington, D.C. to call for release of kidnapped school girls
  • Date: 14th May 2014
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 14, 2014) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF NIGERIAN EMBASSY WITH PROTEST SIGNS AT GATE MORE OF PROTEST SIGNS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS OUTSIDE OF EMBASSY CARRYING BANNERS AND CHANTING "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF TRANSAFRICA FORUM NICOLE LEE, SAYING: "Each and every time Boka Haram goes through a town and destroys the whole town and kills many many of its inhabitants, those who remain basically live as refugees in their own country and there has not been any attention brought to that." PROTESTERS SITTING DOWN AT EMBASSY GATE HOLDING BANNERS MORE OF PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (English ) NIGERIAN-AMERICAN ATTORNEY YEMI FALUSI, SAYING: "For these kids to be kidnapped for 30 days now and nothing is done, this is a reflection of the disregard that the government of Nigeria has towards the Nigerian people." WOMAN PROTESTER CHANTING "BRING BACK OUR GIRLS" INTO MEGAPHONE PROTESTERS BLOCKING EMBASSY ENTRANCE
  • Embargoed: 29th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA81PS7S23I9ZIDU9WGGFJUV8B2
  • Story Text: Protesters gathered outside the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Wednesday (May 14) demanding that the government increase efforts to rescue more than 200 school girls kidnapped by Islamist militants in the African country.
    Carrying banners and chanting "bring back our girls", the protesters rallied in front of the entrance of the embassy in Washington, D.C.
    Islamist militant group Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from a secondary school in the village of Chibok near the border with Cameroon one month ago threatening to sell them into slavery. Some of the kidnapped girls have managed to escape, but about 200 remain missing.
    President of the TransAfrica Forum Nicole Lee voiced her outrage at the Washington protest.

    "Each and every time Boka Haram goes through a town and destroys the whole town and kills many many of its inhabitants, those who remain basically live as refugees in their own country and there has not been any attention brought to that," Lee said.

    "For these kids to be kidnapped for 30 days now and nothing is done, this is a reflection of the disregard that the government of Nigeria has towards the Nigerian people," added Yemi Falusi, another protester.
    Wednesday's protest in Washington came as Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan rejected the proposal of swapping Boko Haram prisoners for the kidnapped schoolgirls.
    Boko Haram posted a video on Monday offering to release them in exchange for prisoners held by the government.
    The kidnapping has sparked outrage and condemnation around the world.
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