Police fired a warning shot on Saturday night after coming under attack from
stone-throwing locals outside a concert organized by a pro-regime Eritrean
youth group in a Stockholm suburb.
The shot did not hit anybody, police said, but one person was injured and
taken to hospital after apparently being hit by a rock.
The concert was part of a larger conference being held this Easter weekend
by the Eritrean youth group, Young People's Front for Democracy and Justice
(YPFDJ).
Among the guests invited to participate in the controversial event is
President Isaias Afewerki’s closest aide, Yemane Gebreab.
According to YPFDJ, some 800 exile Eritreans were expected to attend the
meeting, which is taking place at the Scandic Hotel Infra City in Upplands
Väsby, north of Stockholm, between April 5th and April 9th.
On Saturday night, the group organized a concert at the Husby Träff venue in
the north-west Stockholm suburb Husby.
There some 50 critics of the Eritrean government tried to get inside the
building but were refused access.
Meanwhile, local youths gathered outside the venue and began throwing stones
at the police. Police said some of the demonstrators also joined in.
“They took the opportunity to throw stones with no other motive than to
cause trouble,” said police spokeswoman Marie-Louise Nilsson.
With police at the scene feeling under increasing threat, a warning shot was
fired.
Amid the ensuing commotion, one person fell to the ground and was injured.
“We haven’t been able to speak to the person at the hospital so we’re not
really sure what happened. We have received information that it may have
been a parent from a volunteer street patrol group who was hit by a stone,”
said Nilsson.
The main group of stone throwers left the scene after police fired their
warning shot, while twelve of the demonstrators were taken by bus to
Norrtälje, some 65 kilometres away, in order to keep them out of Husby until
the concert was over.
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Received on Sun Apr 08 2012 - 15:01:05 EDT
