Last year there were violent riots at the Eritrea Festival in Giessen. At that time, 26 people were injured, including police officers. That’s why the police took precautions this year. More than 1,000 officers as well as a water cannon and a helicopter are in action, said police spokesman Christopher Pfaff in a video post on Twitter on Saturday morning. A “large number of emergency services” were able to prevent some groups of people from advancing to the festival site at the Hessenhallen.
Since 5.30 a.m. there had been riots and attacks on police officers in various places in the city. Groups of people threw stones and bottles at the officers, set off smoke bombs, tore down fences and tried to break through police barriers. Some got into fights with the emergency services, who then used batons and pepper spray. Objects are said to have been thrown from a bridge onto the street. Motorists are said to have been threatened and cars damaged. According to the police, 22 emergency services were injured by stones, among other things, by the afternoon.
“Due to the dynamic situation at the moment, we recommend that the population avoid the city area, as there are many police forces on duty (…). Anyone who does not have urgent errands in the inner city area of Gießen today should avoid this area,” the spokesman continued .
A video that circulated on Twitter showed a police officer kneeling over a man lying on the ground and hitting him several times on the cheek because he was apparently no longer responsive. Rumors that the man was killed by police violence were denied by the police in a tweet: “There are currently reports circulating that a participant in the disruptive actions was killed. We currently have no evidence of this. Our appeal to you not to spread such false reports.”
It was later said: “Individuals had health problems during the control measures – presumably due to the weather – who received first medical aid. Please do not spread unsecured information, especially no false reports.”
The festival, which was supposed to start this Saturday and last until Sunday, was also banned by the Gießen regulatory office in view of the violent protests at the previous event last summer. But the Gießen administrative court overturned the ban. Complaints against this were dismissed by the Hessian Administrative Court on Friday. The organizer’s security concept is sufficient to counteract the impending dangers for organizers and visitors, the VGH explained in justification. A city spokeswoman said they regretted the decision, but are now working with the police to ensure safety in the city.
The Eritrea Festival is controversial within the Eritrean community. Opponents accuse the event of being close to the East African country’s authoritarian leadership. Since Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia around 30 years ago, President Isayas Afewerki has ruled the country with an interim government. Afewerki has recently come under international criticism because, according to several UN reports, the Eritrean army committed serious human rights violations alongside the Ethiopian central government in the Ethiopian civil war until November 2022. In addition, many civil liberties are largely restricted in the country.
Sources: Twitter, DPA
