23 apr 2024 om 18:06
Rijswijk mayor Huri Sahin has not given permission for an Eritrean liberation party on May 25. The mayor estimates the safety risk as “life-size”. Previously, similar parties in The Hague and Rijswijk resulted in riots.
The party of the Federation of Eritrean Communities in the Netherlands (FEN) had to take place in the Event Plaza Rijswijk conference center. The organizer and the meeting center had rated the risk of the event as low, but the municipality sees it differently. According to the mayor, the party would have major consequences for public order and safety.
In February, riots broke out in The Hague at a meeting of supporters of the Eritrean regime. Opponents tried to storm the hall center. The police were pelted with stones and Molotov cocktails and rioters caused destruction. At least 26 police officers were injured.
Last year things also went wrong in Rijswijk when a major fight broke out during the liberation celebration. That party was at the same location where FEN wanted to organize the liberation party this year. Gatherings of Eritreans also led to riots abroad.
Tags: Mayor Rijswijk bans Eritrean liberation celebration due riots Domestic
