Hachalu Hundessa,

At least 81 people were killed in Ethiopia after a popular singer’s death sparked violent protests in the country’s Oromia region, a police chief said late Wednesday.

Those killed included protesters and police officers, Ararsa Merdasa, the Oromia Police Chief, said in a televised press briefing.

Hachalu Hundessa, a singer who focused on the rights of the country’s Oromo ethnic group and became a popular voice in a wave of protests that led to the downfall of the previous prime minister in 2018, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Monday.

Following his death, huge protests erupted in Addis Ababa, the capital city and Oromia region, the homeland of the Oromo people.

According to media reports, the authorities shut down the internet in parts of the country on Tuesday to curb the spread of the protests. (Xinhua/NAN)