Eritrean groups clash in Israel, leaving many injured.

author: FutureCar Staff    

Hundreds of Eritrean government supporters and opponents clashed with each other and with Israeli police on Saturday, resulting in dozens of injuries. This violent street confrontation among African asylum seekers and migrants in Tel Aviv is one of the most intense in recent memory.

Among those injured were 30 police officers and three protesters who were hit by police fire. The clashes took place in a neighborhood of south Tel Aviv where many asylum seekers reside. Protesters used construction lumber, pieces of metal, rocks, and even an axe as weapons. Shop windows and police cars were smashed, and blood stains could be seen on the sidewalks. The scene was chaotic, with one government supporter lying in a puddle of blood in a children's playground.

Israeli police, equipped with riot gear, responded with tear gas, stun grenades, and live rounds. Officers on horseback attempted to control the protesters, who broke through barricades and threw rocks at the police. The police claimed that they resorted to live fire when they felt their lives were in danger.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a meeting would be convened on Sunday to discuss potential actions against those involved in the clashes, including deportations. The Israeli government referred to the participants as "illegal infiltrators."

The clashes occurred as Eritrean government supporters were commemorating the 30th anniversary of the current ruler's rise to power. The event took place near the Eritrean embassy in south Tel Aviv. Eritrea is known for having one of the world's worst human rights records, and asylum seekers fear persecution and death if they were to return.

The police stated that both Eritrean government supporters and opponents had received permission for separate events on Saturday and had agreed to stay away from each other. However, these promises were broken, according to Chaim Bublil, a Tel Aviv police commander. The police arrested 39 people and confiscated tasers, knives, and clubs.

At least 114 people were injured in the clashes, with eight in serious condition. Among the injured, 30 were police officers. Eleven patients with gunshot wounds were being treated at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital. Three protesters were wounded by police fire.

By late Saturday afternoon, the clashes had ceased, and the police were rounding up protesters and putting them on buses. Anti-government protesters wore sky blue shirts resembling Eritrea's 1952 flag, symbolizing their opposition to the government. Government supporters, on the other hand, wore purple shirts with a map of Eritrea.

Eritreans make up the majority of the 30,000 African asylum seekers in Israel. They fled their home country due to danger and persecution, as Eritrea is often referred to as the "North Korea of Africa" with forced lifetime military conscription under slavery-like conditions. The Eritrean government has labeled anti-government protesters as "asylum scum" who have demonstrated against similar events in Europe and North America.

President Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power since 1993, leads Eritrea with no elections, no free media, and a requirement for exit visas. Many young people are forced into indefinite military service. In Israel, Eritrean asylum seekers face an uncertain future as the state has attempted to deport them. Despite their struggle to stay in often squalid conditions, many appreciate the freedoms they have, including the right to protest.

Eritrean asylum seekers are frequently targeted and harassed by the Eritrean government and its supporters within Israel. Events like the one held in Tel Aviv on Saturday are controversial because they raise funds for the heavily sanctioned government and are used to pressure Eritreans who are far from home.

Reporting by McNeil from Jerusalem.

FutureCar Staff