Henok Semaegzer, Missing from Action and Misinforming the Public

by Tedla Asfaw
The job of journalist is to Report what he or she sees. Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia have been under attack for almost two weeks now.The Arab media is calling them “rioters”. The lynching, the chopping of victims and badly beaten can be seen on social medias. Women were gang raped and the families of victims were heard crying and ask for help. They were all in Saudi Arabia not from another planet.
Henok Semaegzer yesterday on VOA was quoting the Saudi’s and tell the VOA listeners that “the killers are not Saudis and the crime is not in Saudi Arabia”. What a shame ??? The job of journalist is to have courage and report from the crime area than looking for an expert of “Middle East and Africa” from Columbia University in New York. If he reports from distance to do his research diligently.
I am ashamed of VOA that has enough resource for not sending its journalists to Saudi to visit the victims in jails, “concentration camp” and those who are hiding in their homes in Saudi Arabia.
Henok Semaegzer failed to research the video footage before airing the alleged claim by Saudi official. I have not heard anything like that from those who are reporting from Saudi Arabia, foreigners or Ethiopians.
Henok needs professional help to understand the crime area from distance if he has no courage to travel to Saudi Kingdom of Shame. Stop being a propaganda machine of Al Amoudi.
BeMakber,
Tedla Asfaw

The blood of Ethiopians cries out for justice’

New Internationalist blog
by Chris Matthews

© Chris Matthews

Cries of ‘shame on you’ rang around Curzon Street in London on 18 November as more than 300 Ethiopians gathered outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy to protest against the treatment of migrant workers in the country.
Waving flags, singing in unison and holding placards adorned with slogans demanding action – ‘The blood of Ethiopians cries out for justice’, ‘Stop the torture’ and ‘Being poor is not a crime’ – hundreds of London’s Ethiopian diaspora crowded the usually busy west London street.
The protest, in response to Saudi authorities clampdown on migrant workers, came after several migrants, including at least two Ethiopian nationals, were killed during violent clashes with security forces in the oil-rich Gulf State last week.
Sunday 3 November saw an end to a seven-month amnesty demanding that all migrant workers without legal status in the country be deported, resulting in the mass demonstrations and riots seen across the country and in the capital Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia is home to an estimated nine million migrants workers, many from Ethiopia and neighbouring East African nations, and authorities argue that the clampdown will reduce growing unemployment levels among Saudi nationals.
However, there are widespread accusations of abuse towards migrant workers in the Kingdom, with numerous reports of murder, rape and torture against members of the foreign population.
Zelealam Tesdema, one of the organizers of the London protest, urged the Saudi Arabian government to take action and called for those responsible for such acts to be brought to justice.
‘This protest is part of a global movement to stop the brutality, the rape and the murder of migrant workers. The government needs to stop the violence and bring the security forces and authorities to justice,’ Zelealam Tesdema said.
As numbers swelled and voices became louder and more fervent, a police cordon formed in front of the protesters, barring any advances to the gates of the Saudi Arabian embassy.
Zelealam Tesdema said it was vital people had the opportunity to ‘voice their concerns’. A petition calling on the ‘Saudi government to stop the brutal and inhumane treatment’ of Ethiopians was delivered to the embassy.
More than 23,000 Ethiopians, who were living illegally in Saudi Arabia, have now surrendered to officials there, and the Ethiopian government has already started repatriating those ordered to leave the country.
The UN Refugee Agency said that in excess of 51,000 Ethiopians have made the journey across the Gulf of Aden this year alone.
Another of the protest’s organizers, Bekele Woyecha, who has lived in London for six years, fears that many of those on return flights to the capital Addis Ababa will now be left with nothing.
‘A lot of people who left Ethiopia in the first place were doing so because of economic or political problems and so for them returning it will be difficult. These people have nothing now – the authorities in Saudi Arabia have taken everything that they have.’
In a country where labour laws are routinely abandoned and workers’ rights systematically ignored – highlighted by images of maltreatment against migrants circulating online in recent days – an environment of abuse has festered and Adam Coogle, Middle-East Researcher for Human Rights Watch, believes such malpractice is likely to continue.
‘Many migrant workers are unaware of the official rights available to them. Saudi Arabia will still be dependent on migrant workers for many years to come – the labour laws provide conditions in which abuses can take place.’
The large number of undocumented workers in the country has created a vast under-the-table economy and Coogle says that many employers have ‘complete power’ over migrant workers, often confiscating travel documents and preventing workers from changing jobs once they begin working for an employer.
And although such treatment of migrants is a problem not unique to the Arabian Peninsula, the tragic events of recent weeks have a shone an alarming light on the darkness that pervades in the country. The protest on the streets of London has helped bring awareness to the human rights violations and ongoing plight of migrant workers within the Saudi state a little more into focus.

The blood of Ethiopians cries out for justice’

New Internationalist blog
by Chris Matthews

© Chris Matthews

Cries of ‘shame on you’ rang around Curzon Street in London on 18 November as more than 300 Ethiopians gathered outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy to protest against the treatment of migrant workers in the country.
Waving flags, singing in unison and holding placards adorned with slogans demanding action – ‘The blood of Ethiopians cries out for justice’, ‘Stop the torture’ and ‘Being poor is not a crime’ – hundreds of London’s Ethiopian diaspora crowded the usually busy west London street.
The protest, in response to Saudi authorities clampdown on migrant workers, came after several migrants, including at least two Ethiopian nationals, were killed during violent clashes with security forces in the oil-rich Gulf State last week.
Sunday 3 November saw an end to a seven-month amnesty demanding that all migrant workers without legal status in the country be deported, resulting in the mass demonstrations and riots seen across the country and in the capital Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia is home to an estimated nine million migrants workers, many from Ethiopia and neighbouring East African nations, and authorities argue that the clampdown will reduce growing unemployment levels among Saudi nationals.
However, there are widespread accusations of abuse towards migrant workers in the Kingdom, with numerous reports of murder, rape and torture against members of the foreign population.
Zelealam Tesdema, one of the organizers of the London protest, urged the Saudi Arabian government to take action and called for those responsible for such acts to be brought to justice.
‘This protest is part of a global movement to stop the brutality, the rape and the murder of migrant workers. The government needs to stop the violence and bring the security forces and authorities to justice,’ Zelealam Tesdema said.
As numbers swelled and voices became louder and more fervent, a police cordon formed in front of the protesters, barring any advances to the gates of the Saudi Arabian embassy.
Zelealam Tesdema said it was vital people had the opportunity to ‘voice their concerns’. A petition calling on the ‘Saudi government to stop the brutal and inhumane treatment’ of Ethiopians was delivered to the embassy.
More than 23,000 Ethiopians, who were living illegally in Saudi Arabia, have now surrendered to officials there, and the Ethiopian government has already started repatriating those ordered to leave the country.
The UN Refugee Agency said that in excess of 51,000 Ethiopians have made the journey across the Gulf of Aden this year alone.
Another of the protest’s organizers, Bekele Woyecha, who has lived in London for six years, fears that many of those on return flights to the capital Addis Ababa will now be left with nothing.
‘A lot of people who left Ethiopia in the first place were doing so because of economic or political problems and so for them returning it will be difficult. These people have nothing now – the authorities in Saudi Arabia have taken everything that they have.’
In a country where labour laws are routinely abandoned and workers’ rights systematically ignored – highlighted by images of maltreatment against migrants circulating online in recent days – an environment of abuse has festered and Adam Coogle, Middle-East Researcher for Human Rights Watch, believes such malpractice is likely to continue.
‘Many migrant workers are unaware of the official rights available to them. Saudi Arabia will still be dependent on migrant workers for many years to come – the labour laws provide conditions in which abuses can take place.’
The large number of undocumented workers in the country has created a vast under-the-table economy and Coogle says that many employers have ‘complete power’ over migrant workers, often confiscating travel documents and preventing workers from changing jobs once they begin working for an employer.
And although such treatment of migrants is a problem not unique to the Arabian Peninsula, the tragic events of recent weeks have a shone an alarming light on the darkness that pervades in the country. The protest on the streets of London has helped bring awareness to the human rights violations and ongoing plight of migrant workers within the Saudi state a little more into focus.

Open Letter to Ethiopian Foreign Minister (CREW)

Center for the Rights of Ethiopian Women (CREW)
Re: Abuse of Ethiopian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia
Center for the Rights of Ethiopian Women (CREW) is concerned about the recent abuse of Ethiopian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, especially the reported torture, abuse and rape of Ethiopian women. CREW is a non-government, non-profit, non-partisan, human rights and peace organization established to promote the social, economic and legal rights of Ethiopian women in Ethiopia and worldwide. One of the objectives of the organization is to assist and represent abused Ethiopian women living and working abroad.
As documented through various media outlets, Saudi authorities launched a crackdown on undocumented migrant workers following the expiry of amnesty linked to a new employment rules. As results of this crackdown, migrant workers, particularly Ethiopians, have faced beatings, abuse, torture, and in some instances, even death. The videos and photos showed Ethiopians being thrown out in the streets with no shelter and food. There were also some reports of women being gang raped. Some of these women also shared their experiences and fears in the various media outlets posted online.
As you are aware of, thousands of Ethiopian women and young girls head to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern Arab countries each year to seek work opportunities. It is also known that many of them migrate to the Middle Eastern countries due to the extreme poverty in Ethiopia and the high rate of unemployment among the youth group and absence of opportunities to fulfill the basic needs of their families.
Through the years, various reports have documented that Ethiopian migrant workers in the Middle Eastern countries have been treated like slaves.  They are deprived of their sleep and they work under unacceptable working conditions.  They often don’t get their salaries and their passports are confiscated as soon as they enter the countries. The Ethiopian government knows these inhuman treatments of Ethiopian migrant workers in the Middle Eastern countries.  The embassies and consulates of Ethiopia, however, did nothing to help their citizens unlike embassies and consulates from other countries; for example, the Philippine and Bangladesh.   Many Ethiopians are in prison and detention centers in Saudi Arabia and other countries such as Lebanon, but their government did not protect them or send them back to their homeland. The absence of protection coupled with the inhuman treatment they face, the number of Ethiopian migrant workers who took their own lives is considerably high.
The current law passed by Saudi government should have only resulted in deporting undocumented migrants through appropriate channels, but what have been witnessed in the last few days are gross human right violations. These violations of rights are committed by Saudi police and civilians who were acting as vigilantes. The Ethiopian government should urge the Saudi government to undertake appropriate investigations into the deaths of the reported Ethiopians as well as the rapes of women and to hold those who have been involved accountable to their actions. Even though, at this time, the safety of those who may be still trying to return to their homeland is very important, we also urge the Ethiopian government to ensure that returnees, especially women, are afforded the appropriate care and assistance once they arrive in their country.
Although a bit late, CREW acknowledges the recent efforts of the Ethiopian government to repatriate Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia, but this action is only being undertaken after the reports of the current horrible situations of Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia. Ethiopians should not be subjected to inhuman treatment abroad. We, therefore, call upon the Ethiopian embassy in Saudi Arabia to take up responsibility to assist Ethiopian citizens — as other nations have for their people — in adjusting their status and repatriating them in a timely manner so that they don’t continue to languish in detention.
As an organization working for the protection and promotion of the rights of Ethiopian women, we have obligations to seek justice for our sisters. Hence, the writing of this open letter to the Ethiopian government.
CREW is a non-government, non-profit, non-partisan, human rights and peace organization established to promote the social, economic and legal rights of Ethiopian women in Ethiopia and worldwide.  We can be reached at ethiowomen@gmail.com

 

ETHIOPIANS COME IN UNISON AGAINST MURDERERS AND RAPISTS OF SAUDI ARABIA

London, by Wondimu Mekonnen

Ethiopians are protesting in thousands against the ongoing murder of our men and gang rape of our women, incarceration of our brothers and sisters in subhuman and degrading conditions by Saudi authorities throughout the main cities of the world. London is not an exception, except that the turnout has not been witnessed anywhere in the world! Hundreds of metropolitan police in yellow reflective force failed to contain thousands of protesters, therefore a special force in black, armed to the teeth in riot gears, took over to manage the crowed and protect the Embassy of Saudi Arabia from angry and outraged Ethiopians.
Today’s demonstration is unprecedented. According to a friend who had a good view from a higher platform, four to five thousand strong men and women turned up at the Saudi Arabian Embassy. Ethiopians put aside their petty differences for the first time in years and came out as one to voice for the 23,000 or so voiceless Ethiopians stranded in the Kingdom of Saudis Arabia. Political differences did not matter. There were Ginbot 7, Andinet, Southerners, EPRP, AEUP, civic organisations and so on. Religious differences did not a priest and a sheik stood side by side. There were Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jewish and others. Ethnic difference was not an issue. There were Amaras, Oromos, Gurages, Tigres, Hadiyas, Kambatas, Adares, and all representatives the 80 groups ethnic groups were glued together as Ethiopians. Ethiopians are obviously outraged by what had happened in Saudi Arabia to their brothers and sisters. There is a common cause to stand together. The SOS call from Saudi Arabia was too loud to ignore! London Ethiopians made their point! They demanded to stop the murder and rape of Ethiopians.
Ethiopians demanded that the Saudi Government instruct its Police force to stop brutality against Ethiopian migrants. The Saudi Police were not only breaking into houses of all Ethiopians, whether they had residence permit or not, but summarily rounding up, beating up and killing in cold blood. In one gruesome video, there is an incident where an Ethiopian man was beaten up, forced to carry tyres and set alight to burn alive. Who would expect such savagery in 21 century? This brutality has been witnessed by somebody who was video-taping the whole incident and shared. Once the men are rounded up, the women are left for the Arab Youth gang galled “Sabab” to take the women and gang rape them, at the watchful eyes of the police. This is a disgrace! This is national humiliation for Ethiopians. This is something Ethiopians could not step aside and ignore. That was what brought them united. Watch the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvsESO8aJOo
An Orthodox Priest, Kesis Berhanu Bisrat encouraged Ethiopians to stand together and voice for the voiceless. He led prayers for the victims. A Muslim brother electrified the crowed with a very uplifting speech touching on everyone’s heart, stressing on our past glory, the kindness of Ethiopians, who took in persecuted Muslim immigrants from the First Hijira, brutalised  Greeks and Armenians. He questioned the Saudi Arabians, if that was the reward we deserved, for the charity Ethiopians showed to the Muslims, to preserve the faith that the Saudi Kings claim today to be protector of Islam. The Muslims of Ethiopia are outraged by what had happened to our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia. He stressed on the unity of our people, whatever happens, as at any time in our history and concluded, with “Allahu Akbar!” The crowed repeated after him.
The Police escorted representatives of the demonstrators inside the compound to hand over a protest letter to the Saudi Arabian Embassy. They were reluctant at first to receive the letter as civilized members of the world. However, one way or another the letter was delivered.
There were BBC reporters, ESAT and others on the spot. BBC captured the following.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24994854
ESAT reported briefly as follows: http://ethsat.com/video/esat-daily-news-amsterdam-nov-18-2013-ethiopia/
More pictures could be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16899129@N08/
In the meantime, the actions of the Woyyane regime are shameful. As if the regime’s crackdown on Samayawi Party protesters at the Saudi Embassy in Addis Ababa last week was not shame enough, the regime is attempting to cash on the misfortune of our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia. It has shut down its Embassy in Riyadh for the last four days providing no services at all, so that it would gain an opportunity to milk the international community for hard currency with an excuse to repatriate the Ethiopians. The Saudi’s are ready to transport Ethiopians, but reports reaching us reveal that the Woyyane is deliberately avoiding processing travel documents, with the lame excuse of difficulty to prove victims’ Ethiopian identity. God! Can’t the regime tell Ethiopians from the rest of the other nations? Had there been any trace of Ethiopian DNA left in the blood stream of Woyyane traitors, the brutal action of Saudi Arabia would have enraged them, and forced them to scramble on bringing home their citizens safe. It hurts to hear that Woyyane blurting “Saudi Arabians have the right to deal with the illegal immigrants!” We all know they came to power with Saudi dollars, but defending the Saudi action is unforgiveable crime in our history. Excuse me! What kind of government on earth would justify the gang rape of its citizen women by Arab gangsters, murdering of men and incarceration of thousands in such degrading conditions as the right the Saudi Arabians? Instead, maliciously, it organised its few supporters in London and sent them to 10 Downing Street yesterday, Saturday 17^th November 2013, to demand that the British government help the Woyyane regime with cash so that it would bring home its citizens from Saudi Arabia. Look at this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5LtEoQU3qI
Shame! Shame! Shame!

The angry children of Ethiopia

by Yilma Bekele

We really are a special people. No matter how far we go one eye is always on Ethiopia. The last few days we saw something we did not like. Ethiopians on all four corners of the world saw it at the same time. We were universally sad and worried to death. What we saw being done to our cousins will not be forgotten. What the Saudi Security and a few Saudi citizens did to unarmed young boys and girls is ugly. It is a sad reflection on Saudi Arabia’s society being built with petro dollars. All I can say is what a waste. When that freaky system they are constructing implodes I know they will bring their sorry ass to Ethiopia and we will meet under our terms.
We are normally a very quiet and reserved people. But the situation in the Middle East in general and Saudi in particular seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Our response which is still in progress was one of united indignation. Outside of Ethiopia protest was held in every city, town and village Ethiopians live. Why do we go out on protest marches is a good question.
We all agree the way the Arabs of the Middle East treat us is degrading, inhuman, against international treaties and should stop right now. How do we accomplish that goal is the answer to our current problem. Today there are thousands in detention camps, thousands that live in fear and plenty more that are being abused as we speak. How do we stop them hurting our people and disrespecting our country?
There are several ways to get the Arabs to listen and pay attention. Military might is the most effective method. There is nothing like having a big gun to level the playing field. That is the response of Nation States. Unfortunately the Diaspora does not have an army. So we did what we could to show our concern. No Saudi Embassy and Conciliate was safe from our assault. We did our part in the Bay Area. It was great to see Ethiopians speaking in one voice. Our Eritrean cousins joined us and made the occasion more notable. Who else would show up in times of crisis other than one’s family near and far. Although it was a chilly November day we all felt warm and energized by each other’s positive energy and that fierce Ethiopian spirit. It was a work day and plenty were unable to come. But we all felt their presence.
Our aim was to put the Saudi government on notice that those they are abusing with impunity have someone that cares. We were using international shaming as a weapon. We were also teaching the citizens of the countries we live in about the dire situation Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali migrant workers find themselves in. Our protest were recorded by the news media and our petitions have gone to all those that can act on it.
It feels good to be able to protest in a peaceful manner and makes one’s opinion known. It is clear it is not enough to solve the problem we are facing. We cannot sustain this anger for long. In a few weeks just because we got over it does not mean the problem is gone. We need to figure out a lasting solution.
There are three solutions I have in mind. All three would effectively solve our problem and we can return back to what we were doing. Solution number one is flex our military muscle and fly our jets into Saudi air space and act menacingly. Solution number two is bring all our people back home where they belong. In fact the Arabs would even pay for the trip back. The third and final solution is pulverize the source of the problem that seems to drive young people out of their country.
Solution number one is not an option. Our military cannot even win over Somalia – a country with no government. Solution number two is not acceptable either. The way the Woyane regime is constructed they need remittances to replenish their foreign currency, are pleased with getting rid of young impatient citizens and with unemployment over forty percent and more there is no incentive to bring the kids home. If there was opportunity they would not have left in the first place.
Why exactly are these young people flocking to the Middle East knowing the danger? The simple answer is because they see no future in their homeland. Leaving your place of birth is not an easy decision. It is a very traumatic experience. The hardship is doubled when one has a low educational level and no skill to sell.
Normally it is the job of a government to protect its citizens. Ours is unable and unwilling to do that. That is why we in the Diaspora are protesting despite the governments many attempts to infiltrate and sabotage our efforts in the community. We do not have a government that feels any sense of responsibility to its citizen. The government is a body detached from the citizen thus is in no position to understand the degree of anger that is building up in the society. While tens of thousands are in so called detention centers the regime wants to toot its horn for bringing two hundred fifty six back. And the handpicked Foreign Minister says ‘…they have homes to come to’ knowing he has no plans to resettle all these stranded citizens.
The Ethiopian people despite news blackout by the regime were very much disturbed by the news. Led by Semayawi Party and Andenet they tried to protest in front of the Kingdom’s Embassy but were even denied that. The regime sent its security force to harass, beat up and jail citizens that were exercising their right in a peaceful manner. We can march in Washington D.C., Seoul-South Korea, Oslo-Norway, and Toronto-Canada but are not allowed in Addis Ababa. We are escorted by motorcycle police in San Francisco but are whipped like animals by Ethiopian Federal Police.
The regime knows we are very angry and is doing all it can to bottle this tsunami of emotion. Their operatives are working hard to shift the blame on Arabs. They are screaming let us discuss effect not cause. They say we are strictly concerned about human rights abuse in Saudi Arabia and there is no need to bring ‘politics’ into the picture. We don’t ask why everybody is migrating out despite the danger but protest if they are abused by some savage government. Woyane agents and Hodam Diaspora are enlisted to keep the discussion strictly on the behavior of the Arabs and shield the regime.
This incident has shone a bright light on the nature of the minority regime in Addis Abeba. Faced with a major problem affecting thousands of its citizens it chooses to keep quiet. The Saudis notified the world that they are giving a seven month period for undocumented people to find spencer or leave. The Ethiopian government is fully aware that there are a large number of our people that have entered the country without proper credentials. For seven months the Woyane regime chooses to ignore the situation. Knowing the young citizens are at harm’s way the Woyane regime did nothing to help them.
Even after the whole world became aware of the dire situations faced by our people including the killings, rape, beatings the Ethiopian government is still calling the Diaspora alarmist and putting out false press releases denying the problem. There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
What do you think, doesn’t the third solution of removing this entity called Woyane from the scene the only option that could result in a lasting solution faced by our country and people? We definitely cannot change the Saudi Regime. It is too rich and powerful to be moved by our protest. Anyway it is always easier and better to change one’s own condition than someone else’s.
This latest confrontations with the minority regime has elevated our movement to a higher level. The Woyane is being stripped of any and all legitimacy and proving once again it does not have the interest of our country and people when it comes to dealing with other nations. Many that were fiving the regime the benefit of the doubt are today looking at it differently. The picture is getting clearer by the day. The regime claim they have repatriated two hundred fifty people they just have twenty five thousand plus to go.
We the children of Ethiopia have a choice in front of us. We can continue being abused by our own government or we could roll our sleeves and unite to deliver a crippling blow so it will never rear its ugly tribalist head ever again in the land of the Habeshas. It is your choice. We can continue the dysfunctional behavior we are famous for like putting each other down, creating organizations that don’t stand any chance of doing anything substantial, peddling the ethnic card using those knowledge challenged followers, travelling home and feeding the monster with our hard earned money or pretending everything is great and no need to lift a finger. All are choices we have to make. You can support Semayawi party in its quest to use smart nonviolent means; you could help Andenet in its slow deliberative process or join the forces of Ginbot 7 in its painstakingly organized stealth assault at the heart of the enemy. I don’t want to hear you say there is no leader, no vanguard party because if you don’t join and help there won’t be any.  If protest march is not followed with concrete action then what is the point of all this drama?

Ethiopians protest in Aotea Square

The New Zeland Herald

Teklay Zinaw protests alongside fellow Ethiopians in New Zealand outside the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Auckland denouncing Saudi Arabian crimes against their people. Photo / Richard Robinson

About 100 Ethiopians gathered in Auckland’s Aotea Square this afternoon for a lunchtime rally to protest against Saudi Arabian “crimes” against Ethiopians.
Saudi authorities last week began a clampdown on illegal migrant workers which led to clashes in its capital, Riyadh, where at least five people have been killed.
“Ethiopians in Auckland hereby demand the immediate halt of the barbaric act in general, the killings, the gang-rape and mistreatment,” a statement distributed at the protest said.
“We are shocked by the atrocities, cruelty, killings, rape and beatings of Ethiopian immigrants by Saudi security forces and police-backed thugs called shebab.”
Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tedros Adhanom said he had information that three Ethiopian citizens had been killed in the clashes.
But Saudi authorities said three Saudis were among the dead, along with two foreign nationals.
The Auckland protest was part of rallies held worldwide against the attacks, with demonstrations in Switzerland, the UK, Norway and the US.