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
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.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.