Israel: Clashes erupt in Eritea among rival groups

A violent battle between supporters and opponents of the Eritrean government erupted in Tel Aviv, resulting in multiple injuries and significant devastation.

African asylum seekers and migrants engaged in one of the most intense exchanges in the city’s recent memory.

Three protesters and thirty police officers were killed by police gunfire.

Both sides, which were made up of citizens of Eritrea, used construction materials, scrap metal, rocks, and even an axe to cause destruction in an area where many asylum seekers reside.

Blood was left on the sidewalks from protesters’ vandalizing of police cars and shopfronts.

A bloody incident occurred inside a playground where a government supporter was lying hurt and bleeding.

Tear gas, stun grenades, and live bullets were used by riot-clad Israeli law enforcement in response.

Protesters broke barricades and flung rocks at authorities as mounted officers sought to restore order.

According to authorities, live ammunition was only used when officers feared their lives were in danger.

Initially, both supporters and opponents of the Eritrean government had acquired authorization for separate activities on Saturday and had pledged to keeping their meetings separate.

The violence had stopped by late Saturday afternoon, but police continued to detain demonstrators and place them on buses for further processing.

Notably, anti- government demonstrators wore sky blue shirts featuring Eritrea’s 1952 flag, symbolizing their opposition to the country’s government.

In contrast, government supporters donned purple shirts adorned with a map of Eritrea.

It’s important to note that Eritreans constitute the majority of the over 30,000 African asylum seekers residing in Israel.

While opponents were allowed to have a separate event, clashes took place as supporters of the Eritrean government celebrated the 30th anniversary of the ascent to power of their current leader close to the Eritrean embassy in Tel Aviv.

The fact that Eritrea has a very bad reputation for its record on human rights feeds the anxieties of asylum seekers in Israel and other nations who fear having to go back to their native country.