Mayor puts an end to Eritrean meeting in Rijswijk

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Region15Police cars were set on fire during the riots in February

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Broadcasting West

NOS Nieuws•gisteren, 22:26

The mayor of Rijswijk (ZH) has put an end to an Eritrean liberation celebration in her city on May 25. The meeting is too risky, according to the municipality. In February there were riots around a meeting of Eritreans in The Hague.

The operator of a meeting center in Rijswijk had registered the event of the Federation of Eritrean Communities Netherlands (FEN) with the municipality. About 800 visitors were expected.

Mayor Sahin estimates the safety risk as “life-size” and therefore does not give permission. According to her, events with “such a high risk profile do not belong in a busy area like Rijswijk”.

Both the organizer and the operator had assessed the risk to the event as low. “But that is not how the municipality thinks about it,” said a Rijswijk spokesperson Broadcasting West.

Two groups

Within the Eritrean community there are tensions between two groups: opponents of the Eritrean regime and pro-government Eritreans. In recent years it has led to disturbances at a number of meetings in the Netherlands.

For example, several people were injured last year massive brawl at the Event Plaza conference center in Rijswijk, the same conference center where the meeting would take place next month.

On February 17 this year, a confrontation between two groups of Eritreans in The Hague escalated riot. Stones were thrown and (police) vehicles were set on fire. The mobile unit used tear gas to bring the situation under control. At least four officers were injured.