Police say riots broke out between two rival groups of Eritreans in the Netherlands on Saturday night – AP News informed.
Police reportedly fired tear gas in an attempt to quell the riots in The Hague, and rioters set fire to police cars and a bus.
Footage from the scene showed cars engulfed in flames and dozens of people in the street, some throwing stones.
“It got seriously out of hand,” The Hague Municipality spokesman Robin Middel said.
Middel said a group loyal to the Eritrean government was holding a meeting when the venue was attacked by Eritreans opposed to the African country’s government.
Police spokeswoman Kristianne van Blanken said she could not immediately say if there were any injuries or if the rioters had been arrested.
The clashes are the latest outbreak of violence at Eritrean events in Europe. Earlier in September 2023, at least 26 police officers were injured during riots surrounding an Eritrean culture festival in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart. In Tel Aviv, the clash led to violent street clashes. A clash a few months ago at an Eritrean festival in the western German city of Giessen left 22 police officers injured.
Tens of thousands of people have fled Eritrea for Europe on account of President Isaias Afwerki’s repressive government mistreating them. The conflicts underline deep divisions among members of the Eritrean diaspora between those who remain close to the government and those who have fled to live in exile and strongly oppose Isaias.
