ETHIOPIA: FIRST FILM OF OVERTHROW OF EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE SHOWING SCENES AT PLACE AND EMPEROR BEING DRIVEN AWAY.

Record ID: 646094

  • Title: ETHIOPIA: FIRST FILM OF OVERTHROW OF EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE SHOWING SCENES AT PLACE AND EMPEROR BEING DRIVEN AWAY.
  • Date: 14th September 1974
  • Summary: CU Troops on tank ZOOM TO SV Tank in front of place gates. GV Crowd gathered. CU and GV Tank outside palace grounds. GV Mob gathering outside palace. Man addressing crowd. (2 shots) GV More tanks. (2 shots) GV Palace ZOOM INTO MV army personnel in grounds. CU Flag. SV Haile Selassie into car and car away. GV Palace with officials standing on steps after Selassie's departure. SV Demonstrators marching through streets. (3 shots) GV Troops watch as demonstrators march. Initials VS 22.11 VS 22.31 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th September 1974 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2UH8GZ4BK0K4XUFQVUX8PNG7J
  • Story Text: First film has been received of the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie. It was shot on Wednesday (September 11) and Thursday.... the actual day of the overthrow. It was filmed under extremely difficult conditions due to the heavy security imposed in Addis Ababa. It starts with scenes on the day before the coup, with speakers near the Jubilee Palace calling for the overthrow of the Emperor. The next day the army acted.

    The 82 year-old Ethiopian leader's end came after mounting demonstrations against alleged corruption and bad Government int eh East African monarchy. The anonymous Armed Forces Coordinating Committee.....which has virtually controlled the country since March.... dissolved the two House Parliament, proclaimed a provisional military Government to run the country until elections are held, and banned strikes and unauthorised demonstrations.

    Haile Selassie, the once all powerful ruler who lived in splendid feudal state in 13 palaces, left his now almost deserted palace home in a blue Volkswagen and was taken to army headquarters. As he drove away youths ran after the car hurling insults.

    As tanks armoured cars and jeeploads of soldiers manned key points in the capital, an officer representing the armed forces committee read to the Emperor a simple proclamation deposing him. It was said the Emperor took the news calmly and said he had served his country in war and peace, and if he was to be removed, he accepted it.

    The armed forces have so far given no clue to the future of the man known throughout the world as "The Lion of Judah".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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