Protests involving members of Eritrean community clash in Breslau, one man charged

A violent scene broke out in Breslau Saturday night as protesters clashed with police at a large, planned gathering.

Waterloo Regional Police responded to a demonstration in the area of Highway 7 and Shantz Station Road, where about 100 people were protesting a planned event that had about 200 attendees. Police said the clash was between members within the Eritrean community.

During a press conference on Feb. 26 at Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) headquarters in Cambridge, Police Chief Mark Crowell gave more specifics about the conflict.

“At approximately 3:50 p.m. on Feb. 24, our service received information that a planned event involving members of the Eritrean community was being held at a location on Dearborn Place in Waterloo. We were advised that upwards of 500 individuals would be attending to disrupt and protest the event,” said Crowell.

Crowell said the group of protesters carrying flags and wooden sticks arrived and determined they had the wrong location and cleared out. Police responded to calls about the same group at 5:15 p.m. at the Cambridge Centre mall, but once again, they determined it was the wrong location and left.

Police then got information in the evening that the group was heading to the Kitchener Waterloo Croatia Club on Shantz Station Road in Woolwich Township, where the planned event called “Achievements of Women” was actually being held.

“Information provided to police indicated that the situation would likely result in violence,” said Crowell. “At approximately 6:40 p.m., officers arrived at the K-W Croatia Club and located individuals carrying wooden sticks, metal rods, and throwing large rocks.”

Violence ensued between attendees of the event and the protesters. Crowell said the protesters blocked the roadway, gathered sticks and projectiles, and continued to enter the event area through surrounding fields. Police said protesters also confronted officers and threw projectiles at WRPS vehicles.

WRPS used crowd control tactics and other methods to control the conflict. By 11 p.m. roads were reopened after WRPS cleared the scene.

Crowell said while some protesters were from the region, most were from out of town.

Paramedics were on scene treating non-life-threatening injuries. Some officers were struck but Crowell said none had major injuries. Police vehicles were also damaged in the conflict.

“This was a very dynamic and I would describe it as a chaotic scene. There may have been people who were hurt that we’re not aware of that did not immediately present themselves to us,” said Crowell.

As a result of the protest, one man was arrested, a 29-year-old from Toronto who has been charged with Assault with a Weapon.

The investigation is still ongoing and police continue to work to analyze video and identify the people involved in the violent disruption. Crowell said more charges are anticipated.

He added this incident mirrors similar incidents happening around Canada involving Eritrean communities, as well as globally.

Crowell was concerned that more uprisings like the one that happened over the weekend are likely to happen again in the region.

In an email to CityNews 570 on Tuesday afternoon, the board of directors for the Eritrean Islamic Community of WR responded to what happened in our region on Saturday.

“We as the Eritrean Islamic community of WR were not apart of the demonstration as we are a peaceful community and their actions do not reflect our organization along with other Eritrean communities who operate peacefully. We do not share their views and the way they go about protesting. As Eritrean Muslims our organization believes in peaceful demonstrations and in no way do we condone violence. From our understanding, the event was an annual woman’s appreciation celebration that had nothing to do with politics. This particular group is a political group that is against the government in Eritrea. The interrupting group assumed these people support the government in Eritrea and so decided to show up and display their beliefs because they are against the Eritrean government. They have members from various cities who gather to interrupt similar gatherings. We are deeply concerned about them and how their conducts and hope that authorities will do something to end these types of intimidating behaviours.”