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NOS News•today, 09:01
Event Plaza in Rijswijk does not agree with the ban on an Eritrean meeting at the end of May. The owner of the conference center wrote this in a letter to Mayor Huri Sahin of Rijswijk, which is owned by Omroep West.
The owner plans to hold the meeting of about 800 people on May 25. It would be “an assembly” protected by the constitution. The owner wants to discuss possible measures with the mayor and otherwise will go to the administrative court, the letter states.
Disturbances
Within the Eritrean community there are tensions between two groups: opponents of the Eritrean regime and pro-government Eritreans. Tensions have led to disturbances at a number of meetings in the Netherlands in recent years. In February there were riots around a meeting of Eritreans in The Hague.
Last year, people were injured in a massive brawl at the Event Plaza meeting center in Rijswijk, the same meeting center that has been arranged for the possible meeting next month.
Reported
The Eritrean liberation celebration has been registered with the municipality by the Federation of Eritrean Communities in the Netherlands (FEN). Not to gain approval, but for the safety of the guests, as stated in an earlier letter to the mayor. The FEN wanted to give the mayor time to take any necessary measures, the letter states. According to the FEN, this is a private meeting.
As far as we know, Mayor Sahin has not yet responded to the letter.
