Demonstrations - Counter-demonstration to Eritrea festival in Stuttgart canceled
A demonstration by Eritreans critical of the regime against an Eritrea festival in Stuttgart has been canceled. A spokesperson for the city of Stuttgart announced on Friday that the person registering the gathering had withdrawn their registration on Thursday evening. The police had already announced in advance that they were preparing a large contingent against riots at the event on Saturday. "The deployment will not change", said a police spokesperson. They will be on site and keep an eye on the situation. There were massive riots at a similar event in mid-September.
The police in Stuttgart will be particularly busy at the weekend. This is because the Bundesliga home game of VfB Stuttgart and a pro-Palestine demonstration on Saturday will also keep the police busy. A festival billed as a charity festival in a sports hall in the Zuffenhausen district could, in the view of the police, once again bring opponents of the ruling government of the African country onto the scene. This is because a large number of Eritrean associations in Germany are considered to be close to the government. The club is also organizing an indoor soccer tournament in the west of Stuttgart on the same day.
According to the event poster, the tournament and festival are being organized by the Eritrean Association for the Physically Disabled. A spokesperson for the organizers said that the association is politically neutral. Money was being collected for a good cause. According to the city, the Zuffenhausen gymnasium and assembly hall, which is run by the school administration office, can accommodate up to 300 people.
In addition, the city has banned 174 people from the immediate vicinity of the event area on Saturday who were identified as troublemakers during the riots on September 16, 2023, according to a spokesperson for the municipality.
In September, the police had defended an event organized by Eritrea associations against violently rioting demonstrators. Participants at the event, who according to the police are close to the dictatorial regime in Africa, and police officers were attacked with batons, sticks, stones and bottles. At least 34 police officers were injured. More than 230 suspects are under investigation. In July, there had already been riots at an Eritrea festival in the Hessian city of Giessen.
Lesen Sie auch:
- Debate about wolves: Hauk calls for solutions for herds
- As salmonella outbreaks increase, CDC advises against eating pre-cut melons of unknown brand
Source: www.stern.de
