There was internet shutdown in #Ethiopia for the past 23 days to contain violence following assassination of a musician, activist Hachalu Hundessa (not fully restored yet). @EthioTube run a Facebook poll and only 20% respondents found the shutdown a mistake, rights violation. 1/5

First off, there is no legal ground for the government in #Ethiopia to shut the internet. Threat to national security is usually the presumed execuse but in no way can the violence of this month be near to that level of a threat. 2/5

The other presumption is that internet or social media creates or ignites violence. However, almost all the conflicts in #Ethiopia start on ground. Yes, there are people who call for violence online, but so are people who preach peace, report violence, repression, etc. 3/5

The violence across #Oromia, #Ethiopia is too much to say internet shutdown has helped. The shutdown helped the gov in only controlling the narratives. We don't have alternative info on what happened, who did it and what the gov did to contain violence. 4/5

It is a myth that internet shutdown will decrease violence; in fact, it decreases the tension in the minds of the people from far away, it decreases gov accountability, and enable them control narratives. On the other hand, it increases conspiracy theories. I'm with the 20% (5/5)