Dozens are injured at an Eritrean event in Germany, including 26 police officers
Source: Associated Press
Dozens are injured at an Eritrean event in Germany, including 26 police officers
Updated 6:05 AM EDT, September 17, 2023
BERLIN (AP) — German police said dozens of people, including at least 26 officers, were injured during unrest surrounding an Eritrean cultural festival in the southwestern city of Stuttgart.
Shortly before the event was set to begin Saturday afternoon, around 200 protesters gathered in the area outside and began throwing stones, bottles, and other items at police officers and participants of the event. Six of the 26 injured police officers were treated in a hospital for their injuries, police said. Four event participants and two protesters were also injured, according to police, although information wasn’t immediately available about the severity of their injuries.
Saturday’s protests were the latest in a string of unrest surrounding Eritrean cultural events in Germany and elsewhere. In July, a clash at an Eritrean festival in the western German city of Giessen left 22 police officers injured. A fight between Eritrean government supporters and opponents in Tel Aviv in early September led to one of the most violent street confrontations among African asylum seekers and migrants in the city’s recent memory.
The event Saturday was organized by several groups considered close to the government of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.
Tens of thousands of people have fled Eritrea for Europe, many alleging they were mistreated by Isaias’ repressive government. ...
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/eritrean-cultural-event-protest-stuttgart-7354da4fe788333a415ded7bee1767aa
