The Oromo people constitute the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, about 50 million people out of a total population of 109 million. Their original homeland, Oromia, included most of what is now Ethiopia. Since the late 1800s, Oromo people have been colonized under the Abyssinian empire. The Oromo liberation movement is for  Oromo people to have the right to belong in their homes and have the right to speak their language and pass on their culture to their children without reprehension. The recent assassination of the prominent singer Hachalu Hundessa, for speaking out against the mistreatment of the Oromo people, have reignited mass protests calling for justice, equity, equal opportunities and freedom that is given to other Ethiopian groups.