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鈥檛 immediately available about the severity of their injuries.
Saturday鈥檚 protests were the latest in a string of unrest surrounding Eritrean cultural events in Germany and elsewhere. In July, a 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 among African asylum seekers and migrants in the city鈥檚 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 for Europe, many alleging they were mistreated by Isaias鈥� repressive government. The conflicts surrounding gatherings like Saturday鈥檚 highlight the among members of the Eritrean diaspora, those who remain close to the government and those who have fled to live in exile and strongly oppose Isaias.
On Saturday, Stuttgart police vice president Carsten Hoefler condemned the protesters鈥� actions and said in a statement that 鈥渘either the extent nor the intensity of the violence was apparent in advance.鈥�
City officials said there had been no reason to ban the gathering in advance, but that they will take steps to prevent similar unrest in the future.
鈥淲e must take decisive action against the emergence of conflicts from other states on German soil,鈥� said Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper, according to German news agency dpa.
READ ALSO:
The Associated Press
