Asmara, 07 September, 2022 / 7:10 pm (ACI Africa).
The Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the Human Rights Concern Eritrea (HRCE) have expressed concern about the “misreporting” of the protests, which asylum seekers and refugees from Eritrea participated in outside the Eritrean Embassy in London, the United Kingdom on Sunday, September 4.
In a report published Tuesday, September 6, CSW and HRCE officials say they “are concerned at the misreporting of events surrounding a counter protest by Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers against a pro-government gathering outside the Eritrean Embassy in London which was forcefully dispersed by police on 4 September.”
They lament, “Those dispersed and arrested have been described in several media reports as being ‘a mob’ and ‘rioters’, amid claims that they clashed with police officers.”
CSW and HRCE officials explain that the counter protesters were demonstrating against what they describe as “the long arm” of Eritrea’s ruling party when “supporters of the Eritrean regime, many of whom have sought asylum in other nations disingenuously,” launched an attack.
They add, “According to a reliable source who was at the protests, the government supporters were already outside the venue in full force at around 1.30pm, and some were armed with bottles and wooden canes. They launched an attack on counter protestors as they were slowly gathering, injuring three people prior to the police arriving.”
