According to local emergency services there were at least 30 police officers among the wounded, a hospital in Tel Aviv said that 11 people were being treated for bullet wounds, according to Sky News.
More than 140 people were injured in fightings between Eritrean asylum seekers and Israeli police in Tel Aviv. The violence flared up not far from the Eritrean embassy when demonstrators were shut down from reaching the building ahead of a cultural event that was expected to take place there. Protesters broke cars and windows of local firms and police used tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Police also fired in the air by live bullets.
The embassy event was due to take place in the hall where the protesters entered and ruined it. Local emergency services reported that at least 30 of the wounded are police officers, while a hospital in Tel Aviv reported 11 people were being treated for gunshot wounds. The fighting renewed later in the day when proponents and opponents of the Eritrean regime clashed.
Tel Aviv police called on local residents to stay away from the area while they worked to restore calm. About Saturday afternoon there was a report that the situation had been under control. However, police sent big numbers of police ahead of the march, they admitted being surprised by the size of the protest.
Such events held by the Eritrean community all over the world in recent weeks have also resulted in violence. Demonstrators claim they had called on police to cancel the diplomatic event because of such latest incidents. There are an estimated 18,000 Eritreans in Israel, and they are considered asylum seekers by the government because of the dictatorship back home. However many people live in rather poor conditions and face a constant risk of deportation. A small percentage of the asylum seekers are thought to be proponents of the regime.
