In Giessen, Stockholm and Edmonton there were violent demonstrations against Eritrean “cultural festivals”. Research shows: The festivals are propaganda events in disguise. Research that probably prevented a festival in the Swiss Canton of Bern.

Source: Tagblatt

Raphael Rohner
29.08.2023

Rüfenacht in the canton of Bern: Around 3500 people live in the manageable village.

There is also a small group of Eritreans. They discover an invitation to an Eritrean cultural festival on social media. They are somewhat surprised that the first of September is to be celebrated as a holiday in Rüfenacht of all places: “That is the day when the 30-year war of independence began, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives and brought the dictator Afewerki to power,” says Elyas*, who in reality has a different name.

On the invitation there are pictures of the Eritrean army and written in Tigrinya: “Victory for the people! Eternal memories of our heroes!” Resentment spreads among the Eritreans in exile in Rüfenach as the invitation gets thousands of likes and shares on Facebook and Instagram: “These are slogans and pictures of our dictator back home!” Elyas and his friends forward the invitation to other refugees who think the same as they do. “Around 150 other refugees from Eritrea were quickly found who want to come to Rüfenacht to demonstrate against the festival,” says Elyas.

In recent days and weeks, there have been demonstrations against the planned “cultural festivals” in several places in Europe and Canada. In Giessen, Germany, for example, a large contingent of police had to intervene. At least 26 police officers were injured in clashes, 131 people were taken into custody and over 1800 people were checked. In Stockholm, too, demonstrations against the “cultural festivals” led to heavy clashes with 55 injured.

At least 26 police officers were injured in the clashes in Giessen.
Photo: Keystone SDA

Piquant: Similar speakers were announced in Rüfenacht, who also appeared at the festivals in Giessen and Stockholm. Is the small Bernese community threatened by a similar fate with tear gas and a large-scale police deployment? The landlord of the premises and the festival site, a sexton of the local church community, only learns about the potentially problematic situation when we call him: “I was wondering why the police want to talk to us,” he says. For him, the occasion is no cause for concern: “We have had these Eritreans with us several times before, and they have always been very decent. Why one should make such a big deal out of it now, I don’t understand.”

Refugee Eritreans ask why these festivals are not banned: “Can you tell me what such politicians are doing? Why should I go there and cheer these murderers who are complicit in our country being ruled by a horror regime?” says Elyas.

In many places, the festivals featured flaming speeches by Awel Said, a friend of Eritrean dictator Isaias Afwerki who is loyal to the regime. Said appeared at several festivals wearing the Eritrean military uniform. He was also filmed addressing the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Geneva in military uniform for a video. In other videos, Seid can be heard glorifying war, supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and calling for refugees from Eritrea in Europe to be attacked and wiped out once and for all.

Kalashnikovs and military uniforms as a cultural statement

A celebration of Eritrean independence took place in Yverdon on 25 May 2023. In addition to some speakers, children also wore military uniforms of the Eritrean army. Likewise, various videos and photos on Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube show people dancing with Kalashnikov assault rifles in their hands. These images are of great concern to the Eritrean community in Switzerland. Surafe*, who used to work as a judge in Eritrea, is more than upset by these pictures: “Propaganda is being fed to people who often go to these festivals ignorantly and with good intentions. Even though Eritrea is as bad as Nazi Germany!”

That men and women in uniform are supposed to teach “culture” while calling for the genocide of minorities with Kalashnikovs in hand is a huge disgrace, Surafe says, adding:

“You wouldn’t approve al-Qaeda events in Switzerland either.”
These festivals would primarily serve to raise money for the regime by selling flags and uniforms. Surafe demands that the authorities look at the pictures of these events and hold the people accountable.

Research by various German media portals shows that the festivals cost a lot of money: the festival in Giessen cost around 90,000 euros. That is all the more reason to be suspicious, says Surafe: “Where are honest refugees in Switzerland supposed to get the money to finance such events?

An enquiry with the Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) revealed that the appearances in the Eritrean uniforms were illegal. DDPS media spokesman Mathias Volken explains: “The wearing of foreign uniforms by the army, police, border guards or other related bodies in Switzerland is generally prohibited unless a permit has been issued. In this specific case, no application for the wearing of Eritrean uniforms was submitted to the competent authorisation authority in the DDPS.”

Official defence attachés, who are allowed to wear uniforms when performing their duties, are exempt from the ban, he said. Volken adds:
“Any violations would fall under the jurisdiction of the civilian law enforcement authorities.” Neither Awel Said nor any of the other persons could be identified by this newspaper as defence attachés of Eritrea.

Planned demonstration causes cancellation of festival in Rüfenacht
Only a few hours after the organisers had published the invitation for the Eritrean cultural festival on the internet, several dozen people who had fled from Eritrea formed a demonstration in Rüfenacht against the planned event. A demonstration permit was applied for from the municipality, confirms the town clerk when asked.

Annelies Müller from the association “Giveahand”, which specialises in counselling refugees from the Horn of Africa, finds the festivals intolerable: “I don’t see why a terror regime should be allowed to go on a fundraising tour in Switzerland and spread its propaganda. These events are dangerous and an affront to the people who have fled.”

Müller has been observing for years who is behind possible propaganda campaigns by the Eritrean regime: the members of the Young People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, or YPFDJ – a kind of youth wing of dictator Afewerki’s ruling party. Müller said:

“These people are the extended arm of dictator Afewerki. They often recruit others and indoctrinate them with propaganda, fake news and tall tales about their homeland.”

Organisers take advantage of Switzerland’s ignorance and naivety
During the research for this article, the Bern cantonal police also became active in Rüfenacht. They cancelled the planned “cultural festival” because of the announced counter-demonstration. The sigrist describes a meeting with the police: “It is incomprehensible to me that suddenly everyone is making such a fuss about these demonstrations in Sweden. We wanted to do something good for the integration of these people and now it comes out that there are supposedly evil forces behind it? We have always had it good with these people.”

Surafe and Müller are annoyed by Switzerland’s ignorance and naivety: “The Swiss authorities should create trust among the Eritrean refugees. Otherwise a parallel society will develop,” says Annelies Müller. For Surafe, Elyas and Müller it is clear: the festival in Rüfenacht will not be the last: “As long as the dictator in Eritrea is in power, his henchmen will try everything to exert influence and pressure on ‘his’ people in Switzerland, ultimately to collect money through fear.”

• The names of the protagonists have been changed.

Source: RÜFENACHT BE

That’s why the police stopped an Eritrea festival near Bern

There were violent protests in Giessen (D) and Stockholm – in Rüfenacht BE an Eritrea festival was canceled by the police. 

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Lucas Orellano34139

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That’s what it’s about

• Festivals with propaganda for the Eritrean government around the dictator Isayas Afewerki are taking place all over the world.
• On September 1st there would have been one in Rüfenacht BE – but Kapo Bern has now stopped that.
• Reason: security concerns. Recently there have been violent protests at such festivals.

An Eritrean festival was planned for September 1 in Rüfenacht, a village a few kilometers south of Bern. The problem with this: The Eritrean dictator Isayas Afewerki should have been celebrated with the festival. That’s why refugees went to the barricades in Rüfenacht. This is reported by the “Aargauer Zeitung” (paid article) in a research.

Supporting the Eritrean regime with festivals – the concept has been around for a long time. A lavish party took place in Bern in 2015 , in Sion in 2022 and in Yverdon in May 2023. But this is a global phenomenon – against which resistance is now stirring. Violent riots broke out at the Eritrea Festival in Stockholm in early August .

Worldwide protests against Eritrea festivals

Activist Veronica Almedom said at the time to 20 minutes: “I do not support the violence of the demonstrators, but I can classify and understand them. Contemptuous and hateful gestures on these occasions provoke the young Eritreans who fled from a brutal dictatorship. They are re-traumatized by such events.”

Violent protests against Eritrea festivals also recently took place in Edmonton (Canada) and Giessen (Germany). The organizers deny that these are propaganda events.

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Almedom disagrees: These festivals are used to solicit support for the government in Asmara and collect money for it. 

Isayas Afewerki has been President of Eritrea since the state was officially founded in 1993. Since there have been no elections since his inauguration and he openly says he does not plan to hold elections for several decades, he is viewed by Western countries as a dictator. There is universal, unlimited conscription for men and women in Eritrea, from which many people are fleeing. Also in Switzerland.

The VBS also keeps an eye on the festivals

The Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (VBS) is now interested in the Eritrea festivals, as the “Aargauer Zeitung” writes. This is because people in uniform often appear there. «The wearing of foreign uniforms by the army, police, border guards or other related bodies in Switzerland is strictly prohibited; unless there is a permit,” the DDPS told the “ Aargauer Zeitung ”.

The Eritrea Festival in Rüfenacht BE will not take place on September 1st – the cantonal police in Bern put a stop to the matter because of the announced counter-demo for security reasons.