Over 100 people were injured in riots in southern Tel Aviv after the Eritrean embassy attempted to hold an event at a local venue.
Protesters claim they contacted police several times to prevent the embassy from holding the event.
On Saturday afternoon there were fights between pro-government and anti-government demonstrators and the police.
Eritreans complain about persecution, dispute over refugee status
Anti-government protesters have long complained about the embassy’s attempts to monitor and track refugees from Eritrea.
Ongoing disputes with the Israeli government over refugee and asylum status were also cited by protesters as a reason for the unrest.
Police stand guard as Eritrean asylum seekers opposed to the regime in Eritrea protest outside a conference of regime supporters in southern Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (Credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Effects of the Eritrean Embassy
Last week, the Swiss St. Galler Tagblatt reported that the Eritrean embassy had sent spies disguised as refugees to extort money from refugees.
The newspaper covered several stories about people who had fled the country being tracked down and threatened with repayment of “debts” or “taxes” they owed back home.
A woman who fled with her young daughter was sent a photo of her daughter on the way to school with the sentence “We know everything. You have debts in your country!” This is related to the “diaspora tax” levied on citizens living abroad.
The “North Korea of Africa”
Eritrea is often referred to as the “North Korea of Africa” because of its draconian and totalitarian regime. The country has been ruled by President Isaias Afwerki since the early 1990s, when Eritreans gained independence from Ethiopia. Afwerki has imprisoned and killed many of his political opponents.
Conscription into the military is mandatory and all citizens, men and women, must perform military service. Unlike Israel or other countries with compulsory military service, conscription was indefinite.
Conscription can be military or civilian, but the only way out is for women who marry and have children. Illness, disability and “good relationships” can also be options for dismissal. The UN has likened this system to forced labor or slavery.
Joanie Margulies contributed to this report.