More than 1,000 protesters are waiting: – The police ask shops to brace themselves

On Friday, there will be two Eritrean demonstrations outside the Storting – first by the opposition from 8am to 11am, then by the Norwegian-Eritrean Cooperation Organization in Norway, which the police refer to as “regime friendly”, from 11am to 2pm. They themselves refer to themselves as politically neutral and secular.

“Both parties have informed the police that they want peaceful demonstrations in Oslo on 26 April, but that they fear violence from the other party. (…) There is great uncertainty about how the events will be carried out, but the situation could potentially lead to clashes”, writes police inspector and business liaison in the Oslo police, Christina Rooth, in an e-mail to everyone close to the demonstration site .

Avisa Oslo has been given access to the e-mail.

According to the newspaper, the fear is based on previous clashes between the parties in other parts of the country, which Rooth writes “has led to serious and extensive violence, also against the police”.

Cost over 2.5 million

For example, major clashes broke out between the parties in Bergen on 2 September last year, when one party, which believes that Eirtrea’s president Isaias Afewerki is a dictator, showed up to demonstrate against the fact that the other party, which believes that Afewerki is a liberation hero, celebrated the country’s liberation from Ethiopia.

Despite the fact that the police had consulted with the Police Security Service (PST) in advance and were prepared for demonstrations, they did not expect such extensive and violent clashes.

The police had to call in extra crews and had between 70 and 80 police officers involved during the riots, armed with guns, stun guns, pepper spray, clubs and dogs.

The riots ended up costing the West Police District over NOK 2.5 million.

Three days before this, more than 50 people were injured when riots broke out at a regime-loyal Eritrean festival in Stockholm.

Sandwich list with advice

Rooth writes in the e-mail that the police will be visibly present in the center and take the necessary measures on Friday.

At the same time, she asks the business community in the vicinity to consider the following measures:

• Avoid selling eggs, tomatoes and potatoes in nearby shops just before and during the demonstrations
• Remove flammable material around the store (pallets, cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam)
• Remove rocks that can be thrown
• Remove billboards from the road
• Ensure that there is no delivery of goods during this period

Read the full list here:

The police have previously issued similar advice at other demonstrations, for example at Stop the Islamization of Norway (SIAN) demonstrations.