Four police officers were injured and several people arrested in rioting in The Hague on Saturday night, after fighting broke out between rival groups during a meeting of the Eritrean community.
“Our colleagues were confronted with very serious violence which erupted out of nothing,” local police chief Mariëlle van Vulpen said told broadcaster NOS. “This is unacceptable.”
The meeting had been organised by pro-government Eritreans at the Opera business centre, although the centre described it as a New Year’s party. Opponents of the regime then turned up and the fighting broke out.
Some carried sticks, others threw paving stones and set cars and a coach on fire, Nu.nl reported. Eyewitnesses said the area was like a battleground. One woman told Nu.nl that the rioters had been filling bottles with petrol at a nearby petrol station to make Molotov cocktails.
The windows of several houses were broken and concrete flower pots were smashed. The road was strewn with broken glass and stones.
City mayor Jan van Zanen described the rioting as “disgusting and unacceptable”.
He said tensions in the community were well-known and that security had been upgraded for the event. “We had received several reports about youngsters from the ‘Brigade Nhamedu’ looking for trouble,” he said. He also gave the green light for the police to use tear gas.
The Brigade Nhamedu, formed in 2022, is opposed to the authoritarian Eritrean regime and is thought to have been behind trouble at events held by the Eritrean community in Sweden, Canada and the US, according to the Guardian last year.
Community spokeswoman Myra Koomen told NOS between 500 and 600 people had gone to Saturday’s event.
Acting justice minister Dilan Yesilgöz said in a statement that the events in The Hague were “completely unacceptable”. “Attacking emergency service workers who are simply doing their jobs is totally out of order and there will be consequences.
by aromatic_shepherd74
29 comments
Nothing to worry about. Just your typical engineers are having fun.
Not something we would be very accepting around here in Eastern Europe. The fuck you’re burning my city, attack my police, after I accepted you here, because of some shit in your country?!? No sir, no way we’ll accept that!
This isn’t the first time this happened here in the Netherlands
DId Eritrea invade the Netherlands ? Am I missing something here ?
Truly a cultured kind of conflict resolution. I wonder why a growing number of people are annoyed by this behaviour
Good to see Eritrea is going to absolutely be in safe hands if this Brigade Nhamedu ever comes into power. Yep. No way is this country fucked no matter who’s in charge… /s
So at least they were against a dictator. The real question becomes, why are these dictatorloving people still allowed to held these events.
all into antunov plane and back.
Once again, do not bring your backwards cultural values or quarrels with you when you are escaping a country because of these backwards values.
Typical doctors vs engineers feud
Why on earth are pro-government Eritreans not in Eritrea? They love the government, yet they come live in Holland…. Strange
Pro regime Eritrean should be treated as terrorist.
Imaging having pro north Korea regime mobs going around. It’s the same
Send them all back. They’re all ‘refugees’ yet they have no problem going back to Eritrea for their vacation. Whenever they land there it’s time to revoke their status here in NL.
Doctors and engineers.
And then you don’t have to wonder about people like Mr. Wilders when something like this happens
The problem is: those guys who come, don’t want to assimilate. It’s nonsense, to come to EU and disrespect it laws and way of life. It’s like: if you don’t want to live that way- return to your homeland and live like you want.
I’m an immigrant myself and if I was found to cause such a nuisance I’d fully expect to be deported.
Why are people like this not deported right away?
Why are “pro regime” eritreans in the Netherlands?
I do not understand. When a violent mob escalates violence then you escalate the forces to squash it. Why do European countries tip toe around these events? Smash these thugs, pack their shit, send them away.
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Sophie I’d veldt? That’s why you left for Belgium?
Let’s protest against the far right!!
3rd world fuckers coming over to Europe bringing their 3rd world bullshit and tribal mindsets. Whole place is fucked and yet people will tell me im wrong and racist….let the downvotes commence!
Pro-Government Eritreans outside of Eritrea? Wtf?
Eritrea is widely known as one of the worst lead economic systems in the world. On par with the likes of North Korea.
*organized by pro-government Eritreans*
Perhaps they should go back if they miss it so much?
I live in the Netherlands and we are sick of these twats overstaying their welcome. We should be harder in Europe and kick those fuckers back to where they came from.
Wtf not sure if I’m living under the rock but I never even heard of this country before and all of a sudden people from there are causing trouble all over the world? SMH
They had molotovs on hand?