Protesters against Eritrea's government set fire to booths at cultural festival in Sweden

Swedish media are reporting that an Eritrea-themed cultural festival in Stockholm took a turbulent turn when about a thousand anti-Eritrean government protesters stormed the event

STOCKHOLM -- An Eritrea -themed cultural festival in Sweden took a turbulent turn Thursday when about a thousand anti-Eritrean government protesters set fire to booths, tore down outsdoor shelters and threw rocks, according to Swedish media.

Swedish police said there was no immediate reports of any injuries. But Swedish newspapers said several people were hurt in connection with what the publications described as a riot.

The Expressen newspaper said at least nine police buses were at the site of the Festival Eritrea Scandinavia, an annual event that has been held since the 1990s at Järvafältet, a nature reserve in northern Stockholm.

The festival opened Thursday and was scheduled to run through Sunday.

Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots. The festival devoted to the cultural heritage of Eritrea has been criticized for allegedly serving as a promotional tool and source of money for for the African nation's government, according to Swedish media.

Human rights groups describe Eritrea as one of the world’s most repressive countries. The small Horn of Africa nation has been led since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago by President Isaias Afwerki, who has never held an election. Millions of people have fled conditions such as forced military conscription.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stolen van Gogh painting worth millions recovered by Dutch art detective

Image
A Dutch art detective has helped recover a missing Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum, east of Amsterdam, in March 2020. LONDON -- A Dutch art detective has helped recover a missing Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum, east of Amsterdam, in March 2020. The "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring," painted in 1884, was stolen from the famous Dutch museum in a daring overnight smash-and-grab heist during the coronavirus lockdown. Dutch art crime detective Arthur Brand, who has spent decades tracking down some of the world's greatest masterpieces, announced on Tuesday he had recovered the stolen masterpiece. An handout picture released by Dutch art detective Arthur Brand shows a portrait of him posing with the painting title "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring", painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1884, at his home in Amsterdam on Sept. 11, 2023. Handout/ARTHUR BRAND/AFP via Getty Image MORE: Van
Read more

New dig likely buries hopes of unearthing Dutch WWII loot

An officially sanctioned hunt for a stash of precious jewelry looted by the Nazis during World War II and purportedly buried in a sleepy Dutch village has — like many previous searches — failed to unearth any treasure OMMEREN, Netherlands -- An officially sanctioned hunt for a stash of precious jewelry looted by the Nazis during World War II and purportedly buried in a sleepy Dutch village has — like many previous searches — failed to unearth any treasure. Archeologists and historians called into the village of Ommeren, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, pushed a detection device called a magnetometer along a row of fruit trees and across a field Monday morning and used a mechanical digger to excavate holes in the soggy soil. They were rewarded with little more than a World War II-era bullet, some twisted scrap metal, a crumpled car wheel and muddy boots. Municipal officials hope that the failure of the team — that included members of a local historical society and
Read more

France: March, Eiffel Tower display to back Iran's activists

Thousands of Iranians in Europe have marched to the EU Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg in support of Iran’s anti-government protesters as Paris prepared an Eiffel Tower tribute to Mahsa Amini, whose death prompted the demonstrations PARIS -- Some 5,000 people marched Monday to the EU parliament in the French city of Strasbourg in support of Iran's anti-government protesters as Paris prepared an Eiffel Tower tribute to Mahsa Amini, whose death in September prompted the demonstrations. The Strasbourg march was organized by Iranians in Europe on the 44th anniversary of the day when Iran’s last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ailing and under growing pressure, left the country for ever. The following month, the monarchy collapsed under the fervor of the Islamic revolution that gave Iran its theocracy. Some of the demonstrators Monday carried photos of the former king. Last week, over 100 MEPs signed a letter calling for the European Union to take a firmer stance against Iran.
Read more