NEW: RI Rally to Bring Back Our Girls at State House Tonight
Friday, May 09, 2014
The Nigerian community of Rhode Island, community leaders, lawmakers and residents from across the state and southeastern MA will rally to "Bring Back Our Girls" tonight at the Rhode Island State House, from 5 to 7 PM.
The community rally declaring “bring back our girls” is to demand action for the nearly 300 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria to be rescued and reunited with their families.
International Incident Drawing Attention
In a release sent from event organizers, the situation is desribed as follows:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"On April 15, 2014, more than 234 female students were kidnapped while in school in Nigeria. According to an April 30 BBC News article, the students “were about to sit their final year exam and so are mostly aged between 16 and 18.”
"It’s been close to a month and the kidnapped girls have not been rescued and reunited with their families. In the meantime, reports have emerged that continue to alarm community members there in Nigeria and all over the world, for instance: that the number of girls kidnapped was higher than previously thought and additional girls have been targeted by the terrorist group responsible for the attacks and abduction; that the government and military of Nigeria are acting too slowly on this matter; that the girls are being moved every few days and are at-risk for trafficking and forced marriages. Like those in cities all over the world, RI community members are standing up to apply pressure: BRING BACK OUR GIRLS -- because everyone can and must play a role to get the kidnapped girls home."
