Last summer, an Eritrean cultural festival turned into a large civil war at Järvafältet. The Eritrean organizers were accused by other countrymen of being close to the regime, which resulted in cars and tents being set on fire, stone throwing, and fights with wooden clubs. Despite up to a thousand people participating in the attacks, only a few are being prosecuted a year later. Samnytt can show the police’s pictures from the chaos.
It was at the beginning of August last year when both festival tents and cars were set ablaze. Police officers who were present to maintain order were attacked with stones and forced to retreat. A total of 52 people were reported injured, four of them seriously.
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“Everything was chaos. People were running everywhere. Police officers running and chasing. Police officers almost being chased and forced to retreat. It was complete chaos. That’s how it went on all the time,” testified a police officer who was present.
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See the police’s own pictures from the battlefield:
Några få åtalas
Uppemot tusen personer deltog i det våldsamma upploppet på Järvafältet men bara några få har ställts inför rätta. Den 13 september åtalades sju personer i Solna tingsrätt misstänkta för våldsamt upplopp.
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All are Eritrean citizens, but no deportation is being considered as the foreigners have sought asylum as refugees in Sweden.
Kasanet Brhane Mesgan, 26 and a citizen of Eritrea.
Tesfazghi Ghebre, 27 and a citizen of Eritrea. Ghebre needs an interpreter for Tigrinya.
Yonas Abadi Birhani, 26 and a citizen of Eritrea. Birhani needs an interpreter for Tigrinya.
Filimon Mebrahto, 25 and a citizen of Eritrea. Mebrahto needs an interpreter for Tigrinya.
Haben Hailu Debesay, 20 and a citizen of Eritrea.
Tame Abraha, 25 and a citizen of Eritrea.
Tesfazage Gebremedhin Aman, 62 and a citizen of Eritrea. Aman needs an interpreter for Tigrinya.
WATCH VIDEO: Watch the ENTIRE Eritrean war at Järvafältet