Wounded at an asylum seeker demonstration in Tel Aviv (Photo: Yotam Ronen)
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai recently referred to the riots of asylum seekers that broke out this morning in the streets of south Tel Aviv following a festival held by the Eritrean embassy in Israel, and reported that the situation is under control: "The area has been completely calm for the past two hours," the police commissioner reassured, explaining: "We have two circles at the moment: to prevent the renewal of the riots in the afternoon, and at the same time the protest in Kaplan, where we are also preparing." He also said, "We have other decrees in Israel, like Wadi Ara with the heinous murder that took place there.
Shabtai said that although the situation has calmed down, the police are still working on the ground: "We are still dealing with buses of reinforcers who came here," he said, "Some of them seized assault weapons such as clubs, tear gas and lies. We check the status of those on the buses. At the same time, we have the detainees and the treatment of the wounded."
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai at a briefing at the Sharett station, following a demonstration of Eritrean asylum seekers, Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (Photo: Israel Police Spokesperson's Office)
Shabtai also addressed the police preparations for the violent demonstrations, saying: "Yesterday, preventive arrests were made of inciters who we knew were dominant among the opponents. And this morning we received warnings that the business was going to come early, we were prepared for the afternoon hours, and we were ahead of the stabilization of some of the forces."
However, he said, the police were surprised by the intensity of the violence in the clashes: "Unfortunately, the crowd that arrived reached a level of violence that we have not encountered until now – using rocks, iron bars, attacking the forces. The whole use of the means did not work on the people - not the stun grenades and not the activation of the gas. Forces found themselves in distress and were forced to use live ammunition. From the events of October, we do not remember such a situation. There was a deployment of 200 Special Patrol Unit officers, which is much more than any previous year. We didn't encounter this level of violence, but we did."
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Vandalism at Eritrean asylum seekers' demonstration, Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (Photo: Yotam Ronen)
The riots that erupted earlier in the streets of south Tel Aviv intensified the fierce internal battles taking place within the Eritrean community between supporters and opponents of the regime in the African country. So far, more than 160 people have been injured, including eight in serious condition and about 30 police officers who sustained minor injuries in the clashes. However, despite the police commissioner's statements, police sources claim that this was an intelligence failure: "We fell asleep on guard duty, ignored the intelligence accumulated in preparation for the outbreak," senior members of the organization said.
The clashes erupted against the backdrop of a festival held by the Eritrean embassy on Yad Harutzim Street in south Tel Aviv. The demonstrators, opponents of the regime, protest against the conduct of the regime in their country of origin, claiming that it still persecutes them through its representations around the world. But the strong opposition of asylum seekers to the festival, it turns out, could have been expected.
Eritrean asylum seekers demonstrate in Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (Photo: official website, Israel Police Spokesperson's Office)
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Over the past week, a number of warnings have been sent by social organizations and leaders of the Eritrean community, demanding that the police prevent the festival from taking place: "We, the religious leaders of the Eritrean churches in Israel, appeal to you to prevent the event organized by a group of Eritrean residents living in Israel," the religious leaders wrote. And in you they cause fermentation of the spirits."
In the appeals received by the police, it was also noted that other Western countries have banned similar events in their territory for fear of violent outbreaks: "The Netherlands, Britain and Canada have banned events of the kind currently planned for Tel Aviv, following the violence that accompanied these events that took place in Sweden, the United States and Germany," they wrote, urging the police: "In light of the above, in order to prevent passions that may, God forbid, cause disaster, we ask that the planned event not be allowed to take place."
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