- Confrontations and Injuries in Tel Aviv
- Cancellation of Embassy Event
- Violence Among Eritrean Factions in Israel
During confrontations between Eritrean asylum seekers and Israeli police in Tel Aviv, dozens of people have been injured, including some by live gunfire.
Hundreds of demonstrators were met with stun grenades, tear gas, and sponge-tipped bullets.
Saturday’s embassy event was canceled after activists opposed to the Eritrean government reportedly asked Israeli authorities to do so.
However, demonstrators also clashed with regime supporters in Eritrea.
On the site of the incident, evidence is being gathered to determine whether the use of live ammunition was legal.
President Isaias Afwerki’s rule in Eritrea has overflowed over into the diaspora, and this is the most recent outbreak of violence in recent weeks.
According to Israeli news accounts, the protesters marched towards the venue where the event was scheduled to occur. They were initially repelled by police barricades but were eventually able to breach them.
Residents of central Tel Aviv reported that the streets sounded like a war zone as police helicopters buzzed overhead and Israeli officers discharged live ammunition into the air.
Protesters engaged in violent altercations with police, vandalized vehicles, and smashed the windows of adjacent businesses.
The Israeli police stated in a statement that officers fired their weapons because they feared for their lives. In addition, 27 people were injured.
Photographs taken inside the hall rented for the occasion by Eritrean diplomats revealed that tables and chairs had been overturned by irate demonstrators.
Videos shared on social media also depicted street confrontations between pro-government and anti-government Eritreans. Israeli police stated that they attempted to separate both factions.
The police requested on X, formerly known as Twitter, that uninvolved members of the public remain away from the scene.
Earlier this week, police announced at a news conference that various Eritrean factions had agreed to hold rallies on Saturday in two distinct locations.
Government supporters in Asmara were expected to gather close to the embassy. Opponents were scheduled to demonstrate at the former central bus station, which is nearby.
The two parties did not adhere to their agreements, according to the police.
Haaretz cited an unnamed senior police source as saying, “We were very surprised by the level of violence, which is only seen in the West Bank.”
According to the police, hundreds of officers have since been deployed in the area.
Midafternoon, the Magen David Adom emergency medical service reported that it had treated 114 wounded individuals. The majority sustained minor injuries, including 30 police officers, the majority of whom were severely wounded. Eight were in critical condition, while thirteen were in moderate condition.
There have been previous instances of violence between various factions of asylum-seekers from Eritrea.
In 2019, an asylum seeker who was a supporter of the regime was fatally stabbed in south Tel Aviv during a turf war between supporters and opponents of the Eritrean government in impoverished neighborhoods where many members of the community reside.
The majority of Israel’s 18,000 Eritrean asylum seekers entered the country illegally through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. They claimed they escaped danger, persecution, and mandatory military service in one of the most repressive countries in the world.
According to local media, Israeli authorities have not differentiated between asylum seekers based on their political affiliations, even though regime-supporting Eritreans may not need international protection as refugees.
As Eritrea celebrates 30 years of independence from Ethiopia, its diaspora has organized celebrations.
In addition to Israel, demonstrations and outbreaks of violence have occurred in Europe and North America; a three-day Eritrean cultural festival in Toronto, Canada was canceled last month after supporters and opponents of Eritrea’s regime clashed.
