What You Need to Know:
Supporters of the Eritrean Government clashed with a group of anti-government protesters on Saturday night, leaving multiple police cars torched and multiple police officers injured.
A meeting of supporters of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, at the Opera House in The Hague was stormed by anti-government youth, resulting in the violent clashes.
The two groups then turned on police who had arrived at the scene and fired tear gas, hurling rocks and bricks at the officers.
???BREAKING: MIGRANT RIOT BREAKS OUT AT THE HAGUE
Large-scale rioting has broken out in the Netherlands, with Dutch police responding to Eritrean migrants who have broken into the Opera House.
Multiple police cars have been set alight as the rioters attack police with bricks.… pic.twitter.com/wWeY381LK0
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 17, 2024
No arrests have been made.
The Details:
In July of 2023, over 100 attendees of an Eritrean cultural event in Giessen, Germany, were arrested and 26 police officers injured after anti-government protesters stormed the event, calling it a ‘propaganda exercise’ by the Eritrean government.
Again, in September 2023, 200 attendees of an Eritrean diaspora event in Stuttgart, Germany, organized by Afwerki supporters were arrested after violence broke out between pro-government and anti-government supporters, 22 police officers were injured.
So, What Now?:
In recent years, much of Europe has faced rising crime and violence committed by rival migrant groups, against each other and against European citizens and police. It is not yet clear if the countries of Europe are adequately equipped to deal with issues arising from rivalries with roots in nation’s thousands of miles from their borders.