30 December 2023 , 18:25
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A protest of around 50 people in south London turned violent as members of the public and police officers clash with one another.
Met Police officers were called to the demonstration in Camberwell on Saturday afternoon before they arrested eight people for offences including violent disorder, criminal damage, possession of offensive weapon and assault on an emergency worker. A spokesperson confirmed to the Mirror that the protests, close to The Lighthouse Theatre, were related to "tensions among different factions of the Eritrean community."
Four police officers were injured, one of whom was taken to hospital and has now been discharged. Footage shared online showed a line of uniformed officers holding back and defending themselves against protesters wielding sticks and poles. Officers, who are not in riot gear as they await backup, have their batons raised in defence as one member of the crowd throws a roadworks barrier at them, and other swing weapons towards them.
"Officers are on scene in Camberwell Road, SE5 where there is a protest with approximately 50 people gathered outside a private venue. Additional officers are on their way to the location to assist with the demonstration. A group of approximately 60 protesters remain behind a police cordon.
Officers have been working with a group of people who organised an event at a private venue in Camberwell Road. Those arrested were part of a group of demonstrators who gathered *outside* the venue", Southwark Police wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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Southwark Police has said a Section 35 dispersal order has been put in place in Camberwell Road until 7am tomorrow. It gives police the power to exclude individuals or groups of people from the area for 48 hours. One person on X, formerly Twitter, said he heard the Eritrean embassy was in the middle of a meeting when the protesters showed up at the scene. The embassy is some five miles. away in north London.
John Lubbock wrote: "People I've talked to say that the Eritrean embassy was holding a meeting and the protesters turned up and there was a confrontation between the two groups. Now they are kettling protesters while the Eritrean government staff are still inside the building I think."
A protest involving approximately 50 individuals broke out outside The Lighthouse Theatre (UKNIP)Eritrea is one of the poorest countries in Africa, located on the Red Sea coast between Ethiopia and Sudan. Human rights groups describe Eritrea as one of the world’s most repressive countries.
Since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, the small Horn of Africa nation has been led by President Isaias Afwerki, who has never held an election. Millions of people have fled conditions such as forced military conscription, with some arriving in the UK.
In September last year, a demonstration was held outside the Eritrean Embassy in Islington against the country’s occupation of the Tigray region. The Met Police made 15 arrests for offences including public order. In August of this year, anti-Eritrean government protesters held a protest during a cultural festival in Sweden.