Clashes Between Rival Eritrean Groups In Israel, 114 People Injured

`More than 100 people were hurt in fights between different groups of Eritrean protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel, with police firing warning shots to disperse the crowds.

Fighting erupted on Saturday after hundreds of Eritreans protesting their government approached a venue hosting a pro-government rally.

Protesters burst through police barriers and damaged the windows of police and other vehicles, as well as the glass of surrounding establishments, according to Haaretz. They could also enter the location next to the Eritrean embassy to shatter chairs and tables.

Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, claimed it treated 114 people, eight of whom were in critical condition.

Footage on social media showed Eritrean government supporters using clubs to attack anti-government protestors. Reuters journalists witnessed males with bloodied limbs and head wounds lying on the ground of a children’s playground.

According to  reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, the police were unprepared for the level of violence that erupted.

“The demonstrators were able to quickly break through the barriers.” The cops had to use tear gas and stun grenades to respond. “There were running battles between protesters and police in riot gear,” he claimed.

More than 100 people were hurt in fights between different groups of Eritrean protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“At least 30 police officers were injured in the clashes,” Brennan said, adding that the police might have responded better.

Cops stated they arrested 39 people “who assaulted police and threw stones” at them. According to cops, several were armed with guns, tear gas and an electrical stun gun.

Police said they were beefing up their presence in the neighborhood because fighting between Eritreans and police and supporters and opponents of Eritrea’s government was reported elsewhere in south Tel Aviv.

Eritrea has been headed by President Isaias Afwerki, 77, since its independence in 1991. Elections have never been conducted in Asmara. Political parties are prohibited, and freedom of expression and the press are severely hampered.

There is no parliament, independent judiciary, or civil society organizations. Furthermore, there is mandatory military duty and a forced labor system, from which many Eritreans leave.

More than 100 people were hurt in fights between different groups of Eritrean protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The anti-government protesters had earlier requested that the police postpone the pro-government event, which had been sponsored by Eritrea’s embassy, which they accuse of attempting to monitor and track them.

“Among the nearly 20,000 Eritreans living in Israel, there are sharp divisions.” Critics of the dictatorship have compared it to “North Korea of Africa,” according to the Al Jazeera correspondent.

“In 2019, a pro-president supporter was stabbed and beaten to death in Tel Aviv by three people opposed to the president.”

SOURCE – (AjA)