Meeting in Stuttgart – 63 Eritreans from Switzerland involved in riots – News

  • There were violent riots on the sidelines of an Eritrea event in Stuttgart.
  • According to the police, up to 200 people attacked meeting participants and police officers with stones, bottles and wooden slats.
  • Among them were 63 people from Switzerland, as the Vice President of the Stuttgart Police explained at a press conference.

From their own perspective, the police found themselves caught between supporters and opponents of the Eritrean regime during the riots in Stuttgart. “Today we were the buffer stop for an Eritrean conflict that was carried out with massive violence on the streets of Stuttgart,” said Stuttgart Police Vice President Carsten Höfler that night, referring to Saturday’s riots.

27 police officers were injured, as were several participants in the Eritrea event close to the regime and two opposition members. Six officers were treated in hospital. According to the information, four police officers were unable to continue their duties. A total of 300 officers were on duty. There were 228 arrests, explained Höfler at a press conference in Stuttgart on Sunday.

There were violent riots on the sidelines of an Eritrea event. The trigger was a meeting of Eritrean associations with around 80 to 90 participants who, according to the police, are close to the dictatorial regime in Africa.

Several hundred opponents of the event – ​​including those from Switzerland – gathered in the city to protest. They were assigned a meeting place, but it was rejected, police said. There was then a massive riot at the Roman fort near the venue. Opponents of the event attacked participants and police officers with wooden slats, metal rods, bottles and stones, some of which had nails on them.

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Individual German politicians are already calling for the chaotic people to be expelled.

KEYSTONE/DPA/Jason Cheplyakov

The police defended themselves against the attackers with batons and pepper spray. Forces were called in from surrounding police headquarters and the federal police. Police officers were also flown in by helicopter.

The participants of the Eritrea meeting were escorted from the scene under police protection after the end of the event. At the same time, the police surrounded around 200 opposition members. The officials established personal details and issued expulsions well into the night.

Eritrea and the one-party dictatorship


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Eritrea, with a population of around three million, is located in northeast 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 Isaias Afewerki has ruled the country in a one-party dictatorship. Other parties are banned and freedom of expression and freedom of the press are severely restricted.

There is neither a parliament nor independent courts or civil society organizations. There is also a strict military service and forced labor system, from which many people flee abroad.

In July there were riots at an Eritrea festival in Germany – more precisely in Giessen, Hesse. At least 26 police officers were injured when opponents of the event attacked security forces by throwing stones and bottles and setting off smoke bombs.

Harsh criticism from politics

Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Ödzemir (Greens) wrote on Platform X that the perpetrators of violence must be brought to justice quickly.

The CDU parliamentary group leader in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament, Manuel Hagel, spoke of “outbreaks of violence” that were “outrageous”. «We cannot accept that on our streets! These people who act so brutally against other people, against our police officers, have forfeited their right to find protection and refuge with us.” Hagel called for immediate expulsions. If necessary, the residence law must be tightened.

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