Over 200 Eritrean opposition followers detained in Stuttgart

Over 200 Eritrean opposition supporters have been arrested in Germany after engaging in clashes with the police. The violence occurred as a cultural festival organized by supporters of the Eritrean regime, loyal to President Isaias Afwerki, was about to start in Stuttgart on Saturday. The deputy police commissioner described the situation as "massive violence" between the two opposing groups, stating that the extent and intensity of the violence were not previously apparent. The police officers were attacked with various weapons, including bats, nails, metal rods, bottles, and stones, resulting in six officers being hospitalized. As a response, Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper emphasized the need to take decisive action against conflicts arising from other countries on German soil. This incident is just the latest in a series of similar protests that have taken place recently. Eritrean diaspora members have been organizing festivals to commemorate the country's 30 years of independence from Ethiopia, but many of these gatherings have ended in conflicts. Eritrea, a politically repressive and highly militarized one-party state, has one of the worst press freedom ratings, controlled tightly by the government. Previous clashes occurred in Stockholm, Sweden, where more than 50 people were injured and festival tents set on fire, as well as in Germany, where police used force to quell crowds at an Eritrean musical festival. Additionally, Eritrean asylum seekers involved in riots in Tel Aviv faced deportation by the Israeli government. Similarly, Israeli police used stun grenades, tear gas, and sponge-tipped bullets against Eritrean regime opponents during a cultural festival. Lastly, a three-day Eritrean cultural festival in Toronto, Canada, was canceled due to clashes between supporter and opponents of the Eritrean regime.