Serious riots at Eritrean meeting in The Hague
Published: Sunday, Feb 18th 2024, 11:20
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There were serious riots at a meeting of Eritreans in The Hague on Saturday evening, with four police officers injured and extensive damage to property. Violence escalated between supporters and opponents of the dictatorial government of the East African country at an event building, with officers and firefighters being attacked with stones and fireworks, police said on Sunday.
Two police cars and a coach were burnt out. Other cars were badly damaged, as was the event building in which one of the groups had organized a meeting. Some participants felt sick from the heat of the fires in the event hall.
The riot police used tear gas against the violent criminals. The mayor declared a state of emergency at the scene of the riots, which gave the police more extensive powers.
"Out of nowhere, our colleagues were confronted with very intense and serious violence", said police commander Mariëlle van Vulpen. "It is very regrettable that colleagues were injured and other officers were also severely assaulted, which is unacceptable." The public prosecutor's office and the Ministry of the Interior are investigating the riots, which have also been condemned by Mayor Jan van Zanen.
Deployment at a meeting in the canton of Fribourg
Recently, there has been repeated serious violence at meetings between Eritreans in several countries. Supporters and opponents of the government in the country in the Horn of Africa have clashed.
There was also a large-scale police operation at a meeting of Eritreans in the canton of Fribourg on Saturday. Over a hundred officers deployed in large numbers in Villars-sur-Glâne protected up to 80 participants in the gathering. The police arrested several of the 200 opponents. Dangerous objects such as sticks and stones were confiscated from cars.
Eritrea, with a population of around three million, is located in north-east Africa on the Red Sea and is largely isolated internationally. Since independence from Ethiopia was won in a decades-long war 30 years ago, President Isayas Afewerki has ruled the country in a one-party dictatorship. Political parties are banned and freedom of expression and the press are severely restricted. There is neither a parliament nor independent courts or civil society organizations. There is also a strict system of military service and forced labor, from which many people flee abroad.
©Keystone/SDA
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