CHARLOTTE, NC – Eight individuals were apprehended by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department on Saturday, amid a long-drawn-out protest and standoff that originated from an Eritrean cultural gathering. The incident saw rival Eritrean factions clashing, with law enforcement officers coming under attack as they attempted to disperse the unlawful assembly.
The crowd resorted to using sticks, rocks, and other objects against the police, and a tractor was set ablaze in North Carolina’s largest city. Over several hours, authorities managed to confiscate two firearms.
The situation escalated shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Saturday when the Providence Division of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department responded to an illegal protest taking place in a business parking lot hosting the Eritrean event on Monroe Road. The protesters were occupying private property and extending onto the road, leading to the closure of Monroe Road. Despite repeated orders to disperse, the protesters remained defiant.
Tensions peaked after 3:00 p.m. when officers from the CMPD Bike Unit attempted to clear protesters from the street. This led to an outbreak of violence, with several protesters retaliating by throwing objects and pushing against the officers. The police responded with pepper spray, leading to multiple injuries among both protesters and officers.
During the melee, a female protester assaulted an officer, and a firearm was confiscated from her. She was subsequently charged with inciting a riot, failure to disperse, damaging personal property, and assaulting a government official. The charges for all eight detainees included obstructing traffic and refusing to disperse.
The standoff continued into the evening, with protesters blocking the entrance to the private business hosting the cultural event. The CMPD’s Civil Emergency Unit was deployed shortly after 7:20 p.m. to disperse the crowd, but they were met with further violence and hostility.
The unrest in North Carolina coincided with similar disturbances between rival Eritrean groups in the Netherlands on the same day. The situation in The Hague escalated to the point where law enforcement officers had to deploy tear gas to control the rioters, who set police cars and a bus on fire.
The recent incidents highlight the ongoing tensions within the Eritrean diaspora, with deep divisions evident between those who support the government and those who oppose it.