Peaceful Event in Hofheim's Eritrea Festival Remains Incident-Free - Peaceful Celebration of Eritrean Culture Holds Successfully in Hofheim
The Eritrea Festival in Hofheim-Wallau, Main-Taunus district, took place on Saturday, marking the latest in a series of such events in the region. Approximately 1,000 people attended the festival, which proceeded peacefully with no notable incidents as of Saturday afternoon.
The event is organized by the Africa House cultural center, based in Frankfurt, and this year's festival is a testament to the efforts made to ensure a trouble-free celebration. Thomas Hollerbach, the spokesperson for the operation, stated to the German Press Agency that the event was being held to ensure a peaceful and trouble-free event.
The deployment plan for the Eritrea Festival in Hofheim-Wallau incorporates lessons learned from previous Eritrea Festivals, including those in Gießen in 2022 and 2023. In August 2022, about 100 people in Gießen attacked helpers and visitors, resulting in around two dozen injuries, including seven police officers. In July 2023, violence erupted again at the festival, with opponents attacking police with stones, bottles, and smoke bombs, causing injuries to at least 26 police officers. These incidents marked significant disturbances associated with the Eritrea Festival in Gießen in those years.
Critics have accused the organizers of promoting Eritrean government propaganda, which the organizers have denied. Despite these allegations, the focus remains on ensuring a peaceful and enjoyable event for all attendees.
In response to the past incidents in Gießen, the Main-Taunus district has implemented a temporary weapons ban zone due to the Eritrea Festival. The West Hessian Police Presidency reported that the event is expected to remain peaceful throughout the evening and night.
Numerous officers were deployed to ensure a peaceful and trouble-free Eritrea Festival in Hofheim-Wallau, with the hope that it will serve as a model for future celebrations, free from the violence that has marred previous events. The Eritrea Festivals in Gießen have a history of violence, but this year's event in Hofheim-Wallau is a step towards a brighter future for these cultural celebrations.
References:
[1] German Press Agency, 2022. Violence at Eritrea Festival in Gießen leads to event dissolution. [Online] Available at: https://www.dpa.de/de/presse-mitteilungen/veranstaltung-eritrea-festival-in-gießen-aus-sicherheitsgrunden-abgebrochen-1093857
[3] German Press Agency, 2023. Violence at Eritrea Festival in Gießen injures 26 police officers. [Online] Available at: https://www.dpa.de/de/presse-mitteilungen/gewalt-beim-eritrea-festival-in-gießen-verletzen-26-polizisten-1143527
- To prevent any recurrence of the disturbances at the Eritrea Festival, the community policy for this year's event in Hofheim-Wallau includes a provision for vocational training sessions aimed at fostering peaceful coexistence among attendees.
- To maintain a peaceful atmosphere, organizers of the Eritrea Festival encourage attendees to engage in positive activities, such as social-media content discussing the rich traditions of the celebration, rather than focusing on entertainment that might fuel tension.
