Devendra Kumar
Hundreds of Eritrean government supporters and opponents clashed with each other and with Israeli police on Saturday in one of the most violent street confrontations among African asylum seekers and migrants in Tel Aviv in recent memory. The clashes, which occurred in a neighborhood where many asylum seekers live, resulted in dozens of people being injured, including 30 police officers and three protesters who were hit by police fire.
The violence erupted as Eritrean government supporters marked the 30th anniversary of the current ruler’s rise to power, while anti-government protesters gathered nearby. The protesters, who wore sky blue shirts designed after Eritrea’s 1952 flag, smashed shop windows and police cars, and hurlled rocks at the police. Israeli police responded with tear gas, stun grenades, and live rounds, and officers on horseback tried to control the protesters.
The clashes came despite efforts by police to keep the two groups separate, with officers setting up barricades to prevent them from coming into contact. However, at some point, the promises were broken, and the confrontation turned violent. “A decision was made by the government opponents to break through the barriers, to clash with the police, to throw stones, to hit police officers,” said Chaim Bublil, a Tel Aviv police commander.
The violence left at least 114 people hurt, including eight who were in serious condition, and 39 people were arrested. The Magen David Adom rescue service said that 11 patients were being treated for gunshot wounds at Ichilov Hospital, with three protesters reportedly wounded by police fire.
The clashes have raised concerns about the treatment of African asylum seekers in Israel, who often face an uncertain future and harassment from the Eritrean government and its supporters. Sigal Rozen, from the Tel Aviv-based human rights organization Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, said that Eritrean asylum seekers are often “hunted and harassed” by the Eritrean government and its supporters inside Israel.
The event has also sparked controversy over the role of Eritrean government supporters in Israel, with some human rights groups accusing them of using events like the one held in Tel Aviv on Saturday to raise money for the heavily sanctioned government and pressure Eritreans living abroad. Elizabeth Chyrum, director of the London-based Human Rights Concern – Eritrea, said that events like the one held in Tel Aviv on Saturday are “controversial because they raise money for the government and are used to pressure Eritreans far from home.”