Peace preserved at Eritrea Festival in Hofheim thus far - Eritrean Celebration in Hofheim Maintains Tranquility
In the picturesque Main-Taunus district, the Eritrea Festival in Hofheim-Wallau took place on a Saturday, attracting several hundred attendees. However, the event was marred by violent protests, echoing the unrest that marked previous Eritrea festivals in Gießen.
The festival, officially a cultural event, is organised by groups closely linked to the Eritrean government, such as the Zentralrat der Eritreer in Deutschland e.V. Over time, the festival has shifted from a focus on Eritrea’s liberation struggle to serving as a platform for Eritrean government propaganda. This has created tensions within the Eritrean diaspora in Germany, leading to clashes between supporters of the regime and opposition groups.
The incidents at the Eritrea festivals in Gießen, including the 2025 event, have been characterised by violent protests stemming from political divisions within the Eritrean diaspora, resulting in clashes with German police and injuries during attempts to quell unrest. In July 2023, violence escalated again on the sidelines of the festival in Gießen, injuring at least 26 police officers. Opponents of the event attacked police officers with stones, bottles, and smoke bombs and tried to break through barriers.
The police were present in large numbers at the Eritrea Festival in Hofheim-Wallau to ensure a peaceful and disturbance-free event. As of late morning, the event had been peaceful and there had been no incidents. Thomas Hollerbach, the spokesperson for the operation, spoke to the German Press Agency, expressing the hope that the event would continue without any further disturbances.
Critics accuse the festival organisers of promoting propaganda for the Eritrean government. The Eritrea festivals in Gießen were organised by the Central Council of Eritreans in Germany, a group considered close to the government. The planning of the festival in Hofheim-Wallau took previous Eritrea festivals in Gießen (2022 and 2023) into account.
German authorities face a dilemma because they do not wish to support the authoritarian Eritrean government, which exerts pressure and surveillance on diaspora members, but at the same time, they cannot tolerate violent actions linked to diaspora factions on German soil.
In August 2022, approximately 100 people attacked helpers and visitors at the Gießen festival, resulting in around two dozen injuries, including seven police officers. The police then disbanded the event in Gießen.
The Eritrea festival in Hofheim-Wallau, despite the peaceful morning, remains under close watch by the authorities, as they strive to maintain order while respecting the cultural event's purpose. The incident in Gießen serves as a stark reminder of the political tensions simmering beneath the surface of these events, threatening to erupt into violence at any moment.
- Due to the history of violent protests and political tensions at previous Eritrea festivals, organized by groups closely linked to the Eritrean government, the Eritrea Festival in Hofheim-Wallau was under close watch by the authorities, aiming to maintain order while respecting its purpose as a cultural event.
- Despite the peaceful morning at the Eritrea Festival in Hofheim-Wallau, there were concerns about the possibility of vocational training, as political divisions within the Eritrean diaspora in Germany could lead to clashes with police and echo the incidents reported at general-news events like crime-and-justice cases or sports events.
