The well-known historic building at Meskel Square famously associated with Mengistu Hailemariam’s public speeches was originally designed to stand prominently before millions. Although Mengistu’s era ended, the building continued to serve as a podium during EPRDF’s public Raleys and the first years of Prosperity party. Now, this historic structure has been demolished as part of the Riverside Project. For decades, the building beneath the podium served as the office of the City Beautification and Development Bureau, which has since been relocated to Kebena, behind the British Embassy. After the bureau vacated the premises, the first step was removing the glass windows and doors and fencing the area with tall double metal sheets commonly used in corridor development projects. Behind the fence, preparations for demolition began. Before any work started, police secured the area.

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