Tamiru Demisse, a visually impaired runner from Ethiopia, crossed his arms above his head on Sunday in a political protest after winning silver medal in the Men’s 1,500 metres T-13 race on Sunday at the ongoing Rio Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) reprimanded Demisse for violating the games rules on political messages and participation by sportspersons. However, he repeated the ‘X’ sign during the medal presentation ceremony, Independent reported.

Demise became the second runner from the horn of Africa nation to join the anti-government protests after Feyisa Lilesa, a marathoner who made a similar sign after winning silver medal during the Rio Olympic Games, last month.

The ‘X’ sign has become the face of the Oromia protests. Demisse’s daring move is likely to earn him heroic status as Lilesa who drew applauds from Ethiopians, both at home and abroad.

After the race, Demisse said that he did not wish to return to Ethiopia fearing for his life. He added that he will seek asylum in the US, in a move similar to Lilesa early this month.

“If I go back, I’m a dead man. I am totally against what they are doing in Ethiopia, [and I’m] against the government,” Globo quoted Demisse after the race.

The two runners are from the Oromo ethnic group, the largest tribe in Ethiopia that has been engaged in violent clashes with the Ethiopian government.

Lilesa has since sought asylum in the US after he said he feared for his life in a country where the government has been cracking down on Oromo protesters, that started in November last year.

A crowdfunding campaign to help Lilesa raised more than $160,000, gofundme reported. It is not clear if   similar initiative will be set up to help Demisse seek asylum outside Ethiopia.

The government is yet to issue a statement in response to Demisse’s act.

The Oromo protests started in November, last year. The clashes were triggered by a planned expansion of the administrative border of Addis Ababa, the capital city into the neighboring Oromia region. The government stopped the plans in January but the protests have spread into Amhara region, home of the second largest tribe, Amhara.

Political and economic marginalization by the Tigrayan tribe have also fueled the clashes.

Security forces have used live ammunition on the largely un-armed protesters. At least 400 people have been killed since the protests broke according to Human Rights Watch.